


Beneath the Thorns

by TheInitialsAre



Category: Original Work
Genre: Bullying, F/F, High School, M/M, Male-Female Friendship, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Racism, Rating May Change, Schizophrenia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-04 13:00:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 23,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12771603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheInitialsAre/pseuds/TheInitialsAre
Summary: Another year at high school has begun, and with it, more unnecessary problems for young Alexander Anderson. From years of abuse from his peers, young Alex developed a substantial amount of fear towards the general populace, and tried his hardest not to stand out amongst others.Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. From the hatred towards his mixed heritage to the voice in his head pushing him towards a violent nature, it was a wonder he hadn’t completely lost his mind.The only good that came to his life so far was the kindred spirit he found with a new student, but the conundrum he has between an athletic star and honor student could cause more trouble than he could handle.





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warning(s): Language, Suicide Ideation, Mentions of Past Abuse

_Sunday, August 16_ _th_ _, 2015_

_9:13_ _PM_

_It’s that time of year again, where summer vacation comes to an end, and the school year starts to roll around._

_Two and half months of staying up all night watching TV, hanging out with friends at the mall and taking those long, relaxing summer road trips to the beach._

_It’s a shame that I don’t experience much of those._

_Instead of hanging out with friends, I sit at home all day watching cartoons on TV and listening to music on my computer. Sometimes it helps build my motivation for creativity, but after awhile I lose the muse, and go back to see how Jerry Mouse will outwit Tom Cat this time._

_I don’t go to the beach. It probably sounds weird, but I just don’t see the need to go. I don’t get the whole ‘beach-feels’ vibe that others feel when the weather starts to get warmer. I would rather stay at home and just watch my daily toons._

_Sometimes my Mom would come and talk to me. She would ask if anything was bothering me, or if I was feeling sick and needed to go to the doctor. I guess she wondered why I didn’t act like the other kids my age; always staying hauled up in my room for hours on end, and never setting a foot outside unless necessary._

_I couldn’t tell her the truth. I didn’t want her to worry about me so much._

_Besides, I’m pretty sure that my Mom has an even harder time than I do._

_Having a child of mixed heritage._

_People consider this a sin now._

_It wasn’t much of a big deal a few years ago; people would look at me with anger and disgust in their eyes, and make snide comments about how ‘disgraceful’ my skin color was, or how odd my eyes were._

_I tried not to let it bother me. I tried to ignore it with a straight face, as if none of their nasty remarks made me feel anything, but the hateful comments would always worm their way inside my mind._

_I thought of suicide so many times. Just a simple razor blade to both wrist and it would end it all._

_I wanted to die._

_But I couldn’t follow through with it._

_The thought of my Mom burying her only child made me contemplate whether or not suicide was actually worth it._

_But nowadays, it sounds very tempting._

_Ever since I started school, the people were slowly getting more and more aggressive with their approach._

_It started out as ‘accidental’ bumps, and they would get upset that I walked into them, not looking at where I’m going, despite the fact that I would usually end up on the floor afterwards._

_Even if I apologized for my mishaps, this never seems to satisfy them, and they will be out for revenge because they believe my apology wasn’t enough._

_They wanted more than my apology._

_They wanted more than my suffering._

_And all for my mixed heritage._

_Last year during my Freshmen year, I was pushed down a flight of stairs during Lunch hour._

_The one who pushed me was upset about his failing grade in English, and the fact that I passed with a perfect score of 100._

_My left arm was broken from the fall, and I spent the next two months of Freshmen year with my arm in a cast._

_A year before that, in eighth grade, I was pushed into a locker so hard it broke my nose, and blood got on my uniform._

_The school didn’t have anymore uniforms in my size, so I had to wear a blood-stained shirt all throughout the day._

_But the Nurse was kind enough to let me stay in his office until the school day was over, even going so far as to collect any work I had received that day._

_The Nurse is probably the only salvation I have in that place._

_Maybe he’s the reason why I haven’t lost my sanity._

_Hopefully, I won’t trouble him this year with my problems._

_But it’s a far-fetched promise._

_My head hurts._

_I’m going to bed._

_-Alex_

The journal closed with a muffled _snap!_ and he put it away on a shelf filled with other similar notebooks, all with different days, different years.

**_‘Always writing down your problems instead of facing them. Che! How pathetic’_ **

He didn’t respond, instead he opened the drawer for his nightstand and placed his pencil inside, and slammed it shut.

**_‘Not going to answer?’_ ** It released a short laugh. **_‘Heh. Of course not…’_ **

He reached for the lamp on his nightstand and switched it off, encasing the room in a veil of darkness. The only light that shone was the bright essence of the Moon through his window curtains.

He went to his bed and pulled back the covers and nestled into the sheets. He looked at the digital clock on his nightstand, the bright red numbers staring back at him. 10:06PM.

He turned over and closed his eyes, lulling himself to sleep.

Many would find it strange to have a voice inside their head, telling them everyday on what to do, how to do it, and where to go from there.

But this was different. This voice had a mind of its’ own, had its’ own personality, its’ own feelings…

This voice could very well be its’ own person.

All it needs is a body to borrow.

But at the moment, it would be deemed impossible.

The voice appeared out of nowhere, during one of his daily rituals of torment from his peers.

It yelled at him to fight back, to hurt the ones who hurt him, and relish in their pain and misery, just as they did with him.

But he didn’t want to.

He didn’t want to be like his tormentors.

But the voice thought otherwise, and made comments about him being a very lonely child with no friends whatsoever, hoping to get the reaction it desired, but no such luck.

As he got older, he became more reclusive, more silent, and made sure to be a bit more discreet around his Mother whenever she asked if he had anything on his mind, or if he just wanted to talk.

He didn’t appreciate lying to his Mother, but he felt as if he had no choice.

He didn’t want her to discover that he had a voice in his head ever since he was small child, or the fact that he possibly came about this voice because of physical and mental abuse when he was younger.

Despite their differences, the voice was his companion, and in some ways… his friend. Even though it wanted him to stand up for himself, against his aggressors, he knew it meant well.

Besides, nowadays, he wasn’t so lonely anymore.

He had a friend only he could hear and talk to.

That’s all that matters.

The minutes grew longer as he lay there, slowly becoming more torpid, more somnolent, while his ever restless mind lay awake in the growing serenity of the night, whispering it's cruel words, echoing loudly.

_School starts tomorrow… (… I know)_

_You won’t survive it… (Yes, I will)_

_… too nervous… (We all are)_

_… too afraid… (It’s normal)_

_… you will never make any real friends… (You don’t know that…)_

_… pathetic… (No I’m not…)_

_… weak… (That’s not true…)_

_… just like your Mother… (We’re different…)_

_You’re a failure… (Stop it…)_

_… and you always will be… (Leave me alone…)_

_No Father in your life… (That’s none of your business…)_

_… Grandparents nowhere to be found… (Maybe they’re dead…)_

_… they foresaw how you were going to be… (That’s not possible…)_

_… you’re a disappointment… (Shut up…)_

_… can’t do anything but go cry to your Mother… (Be quiet…)_

_You’re just a little brainiac… (No I’m not…)_

_… with a pretty face, and pretty skin… (You don’t know anything…)_

_Who wants to be friends with someone like you… (Stop…)_

_You’re mental, completely psychotic, you even have conversations with yourself… (That’s not my fault!)_

_… that’s not normal… (I know…)_

_… you’re not normal… (Yes I am…)_

_… you’re a freak… (No I’m not…)_

_… no one wants to befriend a freak… (I’m not a freak…)_

_… yes you are… (No I’m not…)_

_… yes you are… (No I’m not!)_

_… yes you are…_

“No I’m not!”

His eyes snapped open at the sound of his own voice, his body shaking uncontrollably with sweat drenching his body, his breath coming in rapid, quivering pants.

He calmed down after a few minutes and rose up from his bed, releasing another shaky breath and putting his head in his hands.

He didn’t mean to yell (and he hoped he hadn’t woken his Mother), but his subconscious mind was getting to him, making him lose more of any self-confidence he recently had for tomorrow.

A glance at the clock showed him it was nearing midnight, and the sound of rain hitting his window made him aware of another late night storm.

He contemplated whether or not to get out of bed and strip it of its sheets or just sleep on his sweat-soaked bed, but then his conversation from his subconscious came back to haunt him.

Was he pathetic for not standing up for himself? Was he weak for not fighting back? He knew his Mother was none of those things, she had the confidence to get her dream job and actually make an honest living.

His Mother wasn’t weak, nor was she pathetic…

But sometimes he felt as if she suffered from humiliation and embarrassment for having him as a son.

He wasn’t all that smart, despite all the college and advanced courses he’ll be taking soon.

He wasn’t strong, heck his Mother could even beat him in arm-wrestling, and she couldn’t lift anything over fifty pounds.

He definitely wasn’t attractive, with dark spots, freckles and a mole on his chin, and hair so thick that his fingers got stuck in it sometimes. Truly the only thing going for him was his caramel skin color.

Maybe he was failure… just like his subconscious stated.

Maybe that’s why his Father or his Grandparents were never around.

They didn’t want a disappointment being part of the family.

Or someone who had a voice in their head, and even conversed with them.

Even if the cause of the voice wasn’t his fault, they would dubbed him as ‘cynically insane’, and perhaps even disown him.

His Father and Grandparents would absolutely loathe him.

His Mother would suffer the humiliation of birthing a son with nothing but disappointments and failures.

And he would have to undergo the mental torture of it all.

The sound of roaring thunder snapped him back to reality, and he realized that he had been sitting up in his sweat damp bed, staring blankly at his room door.

He took a quick glance at the clock and read the time. 1:26AM.

He let loose another shaky breath and laid back down in his sweaty bed, hoping that the rumble of thunder and pitter-patter of rain lulls him back to sleep.

Though twisted and pitless his thoughts were earlier, he somehow managed to find a sense of comfort from the storm, enough of it to cease the workings of his brain, until he eventually fell into slumber.

X

The sound of his alarm clock beeping startled him awake, and he let out a tiny sigh before aimlessly reaching out towards his clock and hitting the snooze button.

He groaned and sat up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes to wake himself up fully, and grabbed his head in pain. _‘Mhm… my head’_

He felt a tingling sensation in the back of his head before a familiar voice spoke up. **_‘So, how did you like the present I sent you last night? Seems like you enjoyed it rather well’_ **

Ignoring the voice, he yawned and got out of bed, working out the kinks in his muscles and cracking as many bones as possible without hurting himself.

**_‘Still giving me the silent treatment?’_ ** The voice said mockingly. **_‘I’m hurt’_ **

He managed a hand through his hair and headed for his bathroom, pulling out the knots and naps along the way. He opened the door and went to the sink, grabbed his toothbrush from its’ holder, some toothpaste, and squeezed a generous amount onto the bristles before sticking it in his mouth.

**_‘Ahh, school starts today’_ ** The voice drawled out humorously. **_‘I wonder… how well you’ll do?’_ **

He continued to brush his teeth for a couple more minutes before he spit out the foamed concoction and rinsed out his mouth. He grabbed the mouthwash and poured a small amount in the cap and brought it to his lips, filling his mouth with the burning taste of cool mint.

**_‘Hehe, no need to even ask that question’_ ** It chuckled dryly. **_‘We both know you will fail anyway’_ **

_‘Shut. Up’_ He hissed, and spat out the mint mouthwash. He turned on the cold water and splashed his face with the chilly element, drying his face afterwards.

**_‘And so he finally speaks’_ ** It replied in a bored manner.

_‘What do you want?’_ He exited the bathroom and headed straight for his closet, opening the door and pulled out an outfit.

**_‘Oh, nothing important’_ ** It said in that same uninterested tone. **_‘It’s just that, it’s getting quite tiresome watching you struggle everyday. It was interesting the first few years, but after awhile, it gets a little repetitive’_ **

_‘Well what do you want me to do about it? I’m not fighting back if that’s what you're thinking’_ He pulled on a white dress shirt and black pants, running his hands along it to smoothe out any wrinkles.

**_‘Not at all’_ ** The voice placated. **_‘But perhaps, you may need some assistance’_ **

_‘Oh really, from who? And how is this even going to work?’_ He pulled on a pair of black socks and a pair of low-top Converse shoes and closed his closet door. He made his way towards his dresser and grabbed a container of hair grease, and applied it to his hair.

**_‘Well, you're so smart, aren’t you?’_ ** It replied in that mocking tone. **_‘I’m sure you can figure it out on your own’_ **

He sighed and brushed his hair into an upward style. _‘Of course’_

Suddenly there was a knock on his door, before a familiar voice came through. “Alex, are you dressed and ready?”

He jumped a little, but managed to get out a reply. “Yeah. I’ll be out in a minute”

He heard a muffled ‘Ok’ and then the sound of retreating footsteps.

He did a quick once-over on himself to make sure he was presentable and headed for his bedroom door.

**_‘Ah ah ah~’_ ** The voice said in a faux tune. **_‘Aren’t you forgetting something?’_ **

He paused and noticed the familiar weight missing from his face. He sighed, turned around to get what he was looking for off his nightstand and put it on.

**_‘There, now you look even more ridiculous’_ ** It said with a taunting edge.

He ignored its’ crude remarks and left his room.

He smelled something heavenly coming from downstairs, and it was enough to make his mouth water with the expectation of a delicious home-cooked breakfast.

He sniffed again and got a whiff of bacon and toast. His two favorite foods.

Once he reached the bottom step, he headed for the kitchen to see his Mother piling a plate with strips of bacon, some scrambled eggs, and two pieces of golden-brown toast.

His Mother was (and still is) a truly beautiful person.

She wasn’t like those women you would see on popular reality shows who applied more attention to their social and materialistic lifestyle than anything else, nor did she wear heavy amounts of cosmetic products to make herself look attractive (in fact, she didn’t wear any at all).

She didn’t have any hair to comb or to brush (she had a shaved head, with some fuzz), but that just seems to make her more stunning, and with her smooth, milk chocolate skin and big doe brown eyes with a little mole underneath her left one, she was the absolute picture of every woman's envy and every man’s dream (according to him, at least).

She wore what most consider ‘house clothes’, a plain black t-shirt and a pair of colorful pajama pants with some black flip-flops, but even in an ordinary, everyday outfit, she still looked beautiful.

He smiled slightly, and made his way over to the stove. “Morning, Mom”

She turned towards him and gave a sweet smile. “Morning sweetheart”

He took a plastic plate from the counter and put two pieces of toast on it, then grabbed six strips of bacon, some eggs, a slice of cheese and layered them on one piece of the toast, before he grabbed the syrup bottle and poured a generous amount on his sandwich, and slapped on the second piece of toast.

With plate in hand, he made his way for the kitchen table and sat in a chair right across from his Mother and took a bite out of his breakfast sandwich, the same time his Mother took a bite of her own food.

A collective ‘Mmmhhh’ was heard from both as they took more bites of their food.

“So, how do you think your first day back at school will be like?” His Mother asked.

He took another bite out of his sandwich, chewed slowly and swallowed before he answered. “I don’t know…”

His Mother made an incomprehensible noise, as if thinking on what to say next while taking small amounts of her food.

Eventually, she replied. “Well, maybe it’s gonna be really fun. You know how first days are like; no homework, no lectures, just going through your classes and making friends along the way.”

Then her face became dejected. “Of course, there’s all that paperwork you have to get, and I have to read, and sign…” She sighed, and ate her last strip of bacon. “It’s so tedious”

He chuckled and took the last bite out of his sandwich, using a napkin to wipe away the crumbs from around his mouth, making sure to not get any on his uniform. “Thanks for the breakfast, Mom”

“Oh you’re welcome” She said with a small smile, before she got up from the table and threw away both of their plates. “Now c’mon, it’s time to leave”

His shoulders slumped slightly at hearing that, hoping that time would have moved just a little bit slower so he would stay home longer.

But, he knew that eventually, he would have suck it up and deal with it.

His Mother noticed his dejected demeanor, and gently put a hand on his head, rubbing his rough hair. “Aw, don’t make that face. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine. After all, it’s the first day, what could go wrong on the first day?”

He really wanted to say ‘everything’, but refrained from doing so. No need to make his Mother worry about how the day could go.

Grabbing her car keys and purse, his Mother was the first out the door walking down the short set of steps of their front porch towards the dark blue Dodge Charger parked in the driveway, with him following a few steps behind.

He opened the passenger door and slid inside, putting his bag on the floor and buckling his seatbelt, with his Mother getting in the driver’s side and putting the keys in the ignition, making the car roar to life.

She turned towards him and smiled. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine”

If only he could believe her words.

X

A dark blue Dodge Charger pulled into a  parking lot nearly filled to the brim with cars and trucks of all types and colors. Some adults just exiting their cars with their child or children in tow, while others were making their way towards the entrance of the building.

The car parked next to a white Chevrolet Tahoe before the driver’s door opened, revealing a brown-skinned, middle-aged woman with a buzz-cut for hair and very… ‘eccentric’ clothing, while the passenger door opened to show a mixed-skinned young boy with his hair styled upward, dressed in a sharp outfit with a bag over his shoulder.

The day was dark and gloomy, giving off an unsettling mood for most of the children whom would be attending the school for the very first time, while others only thought of being anywhere else but here.

Like how young Alexander was feeling.

With each step of his shoes, he would hope and plead for the ground to open up and swallow him whole, or that, by some stroke of luck, school would be cancelled due to an unsuspecting hurricane heading straight for the area.

Oh he can only dream.

As they neared the school entrance, he became more anxious and began to sweat a little. He honestly didn’t think he could make it through an entire day of being at this school; he was on the brink of a nervous breakdown from just walking towards the entrance.

“Alex, are you ok?”

The voice of his Mother managed to calm him down, if only slightly, but enough to not bring forth any unwanted attention.

He looked at her worried face and let loose a small grin, hoping to put her fears to rest, at least for a little while. “Yeah, I’m fine”

She looked unconvinced, but decided to leave it at that.

They reached the entrance and pulled open the door, setting foot inside a very spacious office, with decorative furniture and pictures of past graduates, major events, and news clippings adorning the walls, along with a very large trophy case (filled with various awards and medals) nestled against a wall, two large lamps settled on either side, illuminating it’s apparent prominence.

A large, wooden oak desk forming an open rectangular shape, sat near a back wall in the center of the room, with a middle-aged Caucasian woman residing in a large, black leather rolling chair, dressed in a suit better fit for lawyers. Her attention focused on some folders neatly organized inside a small filing cabinet, her fingers sifting through each one meticulously.

She turned towards the group of people spilled inside the office and offered them all a sincere smile. “Hello, and welcome to Morrison Academy. My name is Vivian Allen, and I am the Head Secretary for the school. If you are returning students, would you please come forward to receive your schedule, locker number and combination, and I.D?”

Students and parents formed a line leading towards the desk, obtaining a pale-brown folder filled with papers on school rules and regulations, a map of classrooms and fire exits, and other formalities worth mentioning.

Alex and his Mother were the last to acquire their information.

The Secretary smiled warmly at his Mother, but when her eyes fell onto him, they immediately turned cold. He shudder slightly from the intensity of her glare.

She asked his Mother for his school information, condoning in small talk with her while she pointedly ignored his presence.

He did his best to not let it get to him, but he knew it was futile.

He felt a familiar tingle in his head, and the voice spoke in its’ usual mocking tone. **_‘And so the torture begins’_ **

Once the brown folder was in his hands, Alex made his way towards one of the many decorative sofas in the room and took a seat, his Mother following not far behind.

He pulled out the aforementioned items; clipping his I.D onto his shirt pocket, taking note of his locker number and combination, and noticed it was located on the second floor near the back of the school, and finally, reviewing his schedule.

**_Homeroom_**  
**Subject:** N/A  
**Day:** A/B  
**Teacher:** Edward Hernandez  
**Classroom:** D-236  
**Hours:** 8:00AM - 8:30AM

**_First Period_**  
**Subject:** AP Literature  
**Day:** A  
**Teacher:** Nancy Davidson  
**Classroom:** B-112  
**Hours:** 8:40AM - 10:00AM

**_Second Period_**  
**Subject:** American Government  
**Day:** A  
**Teacher:** Joseph Rhodes  
**Classroom:** C-319  
**Hours:** 10:10AM - 11:30AM

_**Lunch**_  
**Hours:** 11:30AM - 12:30PM

_**Third Period**_  
**Subject:** Algebra II Honors  
**Day:** A  
**Teacher:** Evelynn Phillips  
**Classroom:** D-312  
**Hours:** 12:40PM - 2:00PM

_**Fourth Period**_  
**Subject:** Physics  
**Day:** A  
**Teacher:** Abdul Wulandari  
**Classroom:** D-336  
**Hours:** 2:10PM - 3:30PM

_**First Period**_  
**Subject:**  French II  
**Day:** B  
**Teacher:** Michael Lee  
**Classroom:** A-110  
**Hours:** 8:40AM - 10:00AM

_**Second Period**_  
**Subject:** Journalism  
**Day:** B  
**Teacher:** Gabrielle Jones  
**Classroom:** A-234  
**Hours:** 10:10AM - 11:30AM

_**Lunch**_  
**Hours:** 11:30AM - 12:30PM

_**Third Period**_  
**Subject:** Gym/Physical Education  
**Day:** B  
**Teacher:** Nathaniel Davis  
**Classroom:** A-202  
**Hours:** 12:40PM - 2:00PM

_**Fourth Period**_  
**Subject:** Free Period  
**Day:** B  
**Teacher:** N/A  
**Classroom:** N/A  
**Hours:** 2:10PM - 3:30PM

He spent 10 minutes looking over his schedule, making mental notes on which classes would be simple and difficult, teachers whom were strict, easygoing or pleasant to be around, and so on so forth.

“Do you know where all of your classes are?” His Mother asked, curiously.

“Yeah, but I didn’t think they would separate my extracurricular classes from my regular ones. It beats walking up and down stairs all day, though.” He replied, before placing his schedule back into the folder and holding it in his hands.

They conversed some more before the Head Secretary called them all to attention.

“Alright everyone, thank you all for your patience as I will now redirect you to my assistant, who will be giving you a small tour of our facility before guiding you towards the Auditorium, where a short introduction will take place. Once again, thank you all and welcome to Morrison Academy.”

There was a sparse round of applause as the Head Secretary exited the room, and in her place was a middle-aged woman with dark chocolate skin and small, loose curls for hair. She wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses and small, hooped earrings, dressed in a simple outfit of a white blouse, black dress pants and a pair of black flats.

She offered them all a small smile. “Hello, my name is Monica Williams and I will be giving you a small tour of our humble abode. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, then I will be more than happy to answer them.” She said, in a light, airy tone. “Alright everyone, let’s go”

She held the door open for them all to walk through, revealing a large, expansive hallway of a pure white color; the walls naked of any pictures, awards or even posters. It could almost be considered a pathway to Heaven…

… Or a trip to solitary confinement.

But whatever the case, he had no choice but to suffer a long, unbearable ride, going on a trip down memory lane with twist and turns, and no ending in sight.

While the assistant chatted with some of the parents and explained which floor was which, some of the students thought now would be a good time to try and get to know each other.

Young Alex felt a presence next to him, and he tensed. His breathing quickened and he tried his hardest to not flinch away when the person spoke.

“Hello” A very soft, feminine voice sounded. He peeked from his peripherals and saw a pretty Caucasian girl with short, ebony hair styled into a bob and a pair of red-rimmed glasses framing her baby-blue eyes and chubby face. She was dressed in the school uniform for the girls; a white, short-sleeved dress shirt and a black, high-waisted skater skirt with long stockings and a pair of dress shoes.

He considered ignoring her, knowing that in some ways girls tended to be crueler than boys. Instead of beating you down and laughing about it, they will use you to their heart's content, and once done, they will throw you away and move on to a new target.

It was always the same.

**_‘Alex’_ ** The voice said suddenly, and it caused him to flinch again. **_‘Don’t miss this opportunity. You never know when you’ll get another chance’_ **

_‘But… I don’t want to’_ He replied, his voice similar to a frightened child.

**_‘Just try’_ ** The voice said plainly.

_‘But, what if she’s like the others?’_

**_‘Well, you know the old saying: ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try again’, right?’_ **

_‘But-’_

**_‘Enough of your stalling’_ ** It growled. **_‘Hurry before she gets away’_ **

Alex looked out the corner of his eye to see the girl still staring at him, apparently awaiting his reply.

He swallowed harshly, and answered back, his voice slightly strained. “Hey”

She looked rather pensive at hearing his haggard reply, and responded in curiosity. “Are you new here?”

He shook his head in a negative motion. “No. I’ve uh… been here for two years now, going on to the 10th grade. How about you?”

“I am going to the 10th grade, too. This is my very first year here.”

“Oh, that’s… cool. Well, if you ever uh, have trouble finding your classes, I’m happy to help.” He smiled slightly, though it seemed a bit forced.

She gave him a small smile and nodded. “Thank you very much, uh… um…” Her face turned a bright shade of red. She looked embarrassed.

“It’s Alexander, but you can… you can call me, Alex, if you want”

“Oh, well, thank you very much, Alex. My name is Melinda. It’s very nice to meet you”

“It’s nice to meet you, too.” He said, his voice straining to keep his tone happy.

He hoped that this girl, Melinda, was going to get whatever kind of greed or sick pleasure she wanted from him and be done with it.

He didn’t know how long he could keep up with this happy façade.

X

Alex sighed deeply as everyone exited the Auditorium and were now standing in the middle of the hallway; some adults and students conversing, other students choosing this time to locate their classes, and adults saying farewell to their children.

The introduction had lasted for a grueling 45 minutes, with the principal giving a long, and slightly enthusiastic speech about the history of the school, its’ excell in the Athletics and Arts, and anything else he had said after, as young Alex had zoned out the rest of the speech.

His Mother came out after him and yawned widely, the introduction having tired her out apparently.

“U-Um, e-excuse me…”

Mother and Son turned towards the voice that called for them, and met the familiar sky-blue eyes and chubby face of Melinda. She looked nervous.

Alex made an indescribable noise, as if in displeasure, and forced a smile on his face. “Oh uh, hey Melinda”

She smiled shyly and played with the hem of her skirt. “H-Hello, Alex”

“Oh, and who is this pretty little lady?” His Mother said in a teasing way, which made Melinda blush and looked down at her feet, embarrassed.

“Her name’s Melinda. We uh, we met when we were walking to the Auditorium” Alex said.

His Mother smiled and chuckled a bit. “It’s very nice to meet you. My name is Ann-Marie, and this little bucket of sunshine is my son” She grabbed both of his cheeks and gave them a light squeeze.

“Mom, stop” He said, and forced his Mother’s hands from his face.

Melinda smiled. “I-It’s nice to meet you too, ma’am”

She put a bright smile on her face with her hands on her hips, almost resembling a superhero. “Well, go have some fun you crazy kids. I’ll see ya in the afternoon. Bye!” And with that, she waved goodbye and sauntered off.

“Bye, Mom” Alex said, giving her a small wave.

After watching his Mother disappear into the crowd of people, he turned his attention towards Melinda. “So uh, do you… need help finding your, Homeroom?”

She nodded.

“Ok, can I um, see your schedule?”

She pulled out a folded piece of paper from her shirt pocket and handed it to him, which he took and unfolded.

He looked it over, memorizing which classes he had with her and ones he didn’t and gave it back to her. “Ok, your Homeroom is just upstairs. Follow me”

She nodded, and soon followed after him like a lost puppy, making sure to memorize her surroundings in case Alex wasn’t there to help.

They walked up a flight of stairs, passing other students along the way who looked and stared at them as they walked by and entered another equally long, spacious hallway with a few of the students mingling about. On one side of the hallway were rows of lockers colored in a navy blue, and on the other side were classroom doors left wide open, with an invitation to let yourself in.

As they walked by, the students lingering about turned to them, some of them staring as they continued their trek, and others pointing and whispering to their classmates.

And Alex was unfortunate enough to have caught their conversations.

“…he’s mixed, what’s he doing here?…”

“…probably tricked someone into letting him here…”

“…wow, has the school curriculum fallen this low?…”

“…thinks he’s good enough to be around normal people…”

“…ugh, I hope I don’t have any classes with him…”

“…he might give you a disease. I’d stay away…”

“…he doesn’t belong here. There has to be a mistake…”

He ignored whatever else was said and made his way towards the classroom near the end of the hallway. “Alright, here’s your Homeroom”

Melinda turned towards him and smiled. “Thank you for your help, Alex”

He nodded. “No problem. Well, I guess I’ll… see you after class”

She smiled and waved farewell at his retreating form.

He walked up a flight of stairs, bypassing other students who whispered as he walked by and made his way for Homeroom, quietly hoping the bell doesn’t ring just yet.

He trekked through the hallways as the sound of the warning bell sounded through the intercom, making some lingering students scurry to their appropriate classes.

He rounded a corner, not in much of a hurry as his Homeroom was near the end of the hallway, and idly hummed a tune along the way.

**_Bam!_ **

Not expecting the unfortunate impact, Alex fell, landing harshly on his back while the other individual fell just as hard.

Alex sat up and rubbed his back, feeling a slight sting starting to throb painfully, making him hiss.

“Ugghh. You should watch where you’re going, you moron”

He looked towards the person getting up from the ground while rubbing the back of their head, face contorted in apparent anger.

It was a dark-skinned boy who appeared to be in his age group, wearing the standard school uniform with two of the top buttons undone on the shirt, showing off his collarbone. He had a deep scowl upon his face, with his lip curled up slightly and both eyes narrowed, making a thin scar on his cheek contract a bit.

Alex swallowed harshly and began to sweat nervously. _‘It’s happening again. It’s happening again. Oh God. No’_  

Just then a familiar voice echoed in his head. **_‘Don’t just lay there on the ground like an idiot. Get up’_ **

He wanted to move, he wanted to get up and run away from the scene altogether, but the ominous look the boy was giving him made him freeze.

“Ya gonna keep starin’ at me like a fuckin’ creep, or are you gonna apologize?”

He gasped sharply and swallowed thickly, but managed out a reply. “I-I-I’m… s-sorry…”

The boy appeared to have gotten more irate at his apology and leaned down towards him, saying in a menacing whisper. “What the hell kinda sorry is that? You think I’m just gonna roll with that and let it slide? Huh?! Think again, you mixed fucker!”

Alex couldn’t manage to say anything. His heart was beating too quickly and his lungs felt as if they couldn’t get enough oxygen into them.

He was absolutely terrified.

Suddenly, the bell ringed, signaling the start of Homeroom.

The boy grunted irritably and gave Alex a glowering look, before walking away down the hall.

Alex waited on the floor of the hallway until the gradually fading sound of shoes tapping against the floor was no longer heard. He finally got up from the ground and brushed away imaginary dust on his clothes, before making a brisk walk to his Homeroom.

Thankfully the door was still open and Alex made his way inside, getting looks from some of the students already seated and a glance from the teacher sitting at his desk.

He ignored the stares and whispers as much as possible and took a seat near the back of the class in the very last row of desk, putting his backpack on the floor. He was breathing a bit heavily and wiped a light sheen of sweat from his forehead, seemingly exhausted.

A few more students hurriedly walked through the door and took their chosen seats, while the Homeroom teacher got up from his desk and made his way to the front of the class, holding a pen and a small stack of paper separated by colorful tabs.

He smiled brightly at the students. “Good morning everyone! My name is Edward Hernandez and I will be your Homeroom teacher for the rest of the year. Now, I will begin rollcall, so when I call out your name, please respond. Samantha Adams…”

“Here”

“Alexis Agerton…”

“Present”

“Cedrick Ahlenberg…”

“Yo”

“Victoria Aims…”

“Here”

“Christopher Akerson…”

“Sup”

“Alexander Anderson…”

“… Here”

Alex zoned out the rest of the names being called, far too nervous to even pay attention to the names of his fellow classmates as he tried to calm his racing heart.

_‘I need to calm down… need to relax… or everyone will notice…’_

**_‘Then stop shaking, you idiot’_ **

_‘What?’_ He hadn’t realized that his hands were restless, just as much more than his body, like he was suffering from a coldness only he could feel.

He clenched his hands as hard as he could to stop their movement, going so far as to dig his nails deep in his palms, but it proved useless.

_‘It’s not working… it’s not working…’_

**_‘Then deal with it yourself’_ ** And it faded away.

_‘No! Wait!… please’_

But it was too late, the voice was already gone.

He breathed out heavily and focused on regaining control of his body, trying his method from earlier but it still proved unsuccessful.

He sighed and decided to think to get his mind off his untimely event in the hallway, recalling the numerous amounts of videos he binged watched one Saturday morning. From people making hilarious oversights playing well-known (and unknown) video games to others making fun of the many mistakes people make on social media.

It took everything in him to not snort out a laugh.

The GameGrumps were hilarious.

The bell ringed, marking it the end of Homeroom and the students gradually slipped out the classroom and into the hallway, talking amongst themselves. Alex was the last to leave, leaving the room with his spirits raised just a bit.

He made his way to his desired floor and walked towards the classroom he had shown Melinda earlier, ignoring the stares and whispers of the students through the crowded hallway, until he came to a stop in front a familiar door, and the person standing next to it.

“Hey. I uh, hope you weren’t waiting, too long for me.” He said with a slight smile, as both teens made their way through the crowd. “So how was… how was Homeroom?”

Melinda twiddled with her fingers and looked down, contemplating on how to answer. “It was ok… The teacher was really nice, and most of the class were a little loud, but otherwise alright. At least my brother was there…” She said, and drifted off to silence, still looking down and playing with her fingers.

Alex had a look of shock on his face, and tried to remember seeing anyone lingering around the two of them during the walk to orientation and after it, but came up empty. _‘Oh God, she has a brother!?’_

“You have… a brother?” He answered, concealing his nervousness with curiosity.

She nodded, but remained silent.

“Why didn’t you mention him?” Alex pressed on.

Melinda didn’t answer, and for a few minutes they walked in complete silence, only the sounds of the conversations from their peers were heard.

“He hates me”

“Huh?” Alex said startled, not expecting a response from her after a prolonged amount of silence.

“My brother… he hates me” Melinda repeated softly, and a bit sadly.

Alex didn’t know how to respond to something like that. He experienced plenty of hatred and anger from his years of growing up for the simple fact that his skin color was either too dark or too light, or that he excelled in his academics.

He had his fair share of problems, but not the ones Melinda is experiencing.

He had no siblings to speak of.

“Why does… he hate you, if you don’t um, mind me, asking?”

Melinda stopped playing with her fingers and looked away, an anxious feeling overcoming her as a heavy weight settled in her chest. She was scared.

She didn’t want to tell him, but he needed to know.

“It’s because… it’s… because… I-”

Suddenly the warning bell ringed, and lingering students rushed to their classes to get there on time.

Melinda breathed a sigh of relief, but dread filled her inside, knowing that her unfinished answer had definitely piqued his curiosity.

Alex _tsked_ his teeth in annoyance and grabbed Melinda’s hand, the two of them making a mad dash towards the stairs, skipping over some steps and avoided colliding with other students. Once they reached the bottom, they sprinted to a classroom near the center of the hallway.

“Here’s your class! I’ll see you soon!” Alex yelled as he let go of her hand once they came upon the open classroom door, and ran for the stairs, skipping over steps along the way.

Melinda watched him leave, a small feeling of guilt weighing on her conscious as she entered the classroom and took a desk near the door.

Alex managed to make it to class with seconds to spare, once again taking a desk in the back in the very last row. As soon as he sat down the bell ringed and First Period began, despite a few students walking in a little bit after.

The teacher stood up from her desk and walked to the front of the class, a wide smile on her face. “Good morning everyone! My name is Nancy Davidson and welcome to English! Now, we will not be doing much, as it is the very first day, but I will hand out a syllabus to show all of you on what we will be doing throughout the year. I would advise that you look over this with your parents or guardians and have them sign the bottom of the very last page and return it to me by Wednesday.” She paused, making sure her words reached all her students. “Now, I will begin rollcall, so when I call your name, please answer so I may hand out the syllabus. Amanda Allen…”

“Here”

“Taneka Ambers…”

“Here”

“Alexander Anderson…”

“Here”

After he received his syllabus, Alex ignored the rest of his classmates’ names and took the time to read and review what they would be learning for the rest of the year.

_‘Huh, we’re gonna learn about Shakespeare, Edgar Allen Poe, and Harper Lee. Not bad topics’_

**_‘Hmph, so you're ignoring the little tibet of information your friend was kind enough to indulge you with? How unlike you’_ **

Alex turned to the next page of the syllabus, seemingly interested. _‘No, I’m not ignoring it’_ He sighed softly and turned to the next page. _‘I wonder what she was going to say; the warning bell cut her off’_

**_‘Well from how reluctant she was in telling you anyway, I doubt she would tell you next time’_ **

_‘You don’t know that’_

The voice chuckled. **_‘Hehe, neither do you’_ **

He sighed and turned the page on the syllabus. _‘Whatever… but she never mentioned having a brother’_

**_‘Hmm, that is an odd thing to leave out, but as she said earlier, her brother despises her’_ **

_‘But why?'_

**_‘That is something you must figure out on your own’_ ** And it disappeared.

Alex sighed softly and turned his attention back to the teacher who was explaining the course curriculum to the students who were mildly interested and half-listening.

He groaned quietly. _‘Today is going to be a long day’_

X

First period came and went, as with it Second period, with students carting their bags and arms with heavy textbooks and course papers while making their way towards various lockers to put them away for later use. They were chatting amongst each other, happy to get away from the grueling 80 minutes of class to enjoy an hour of partial freedom and conversation.

Also known as Lunch.

Alex, with newfound companion Melinda in tow, both made their way downstairs to the first floor towards the Cafeteria, also conversing.

“Hey, Melinda,” Alex started. “What were you gonna say, before the bell ringed for First period?”

Melinda tensed up and began playing with her fingers, a bit reluctant to answer his question. “I… uh… I’m…” Her face turned bright red and she started to sweat slightly. She was very nervous.

Alex looked at her, a slight frown on his face. “Hey… it’s ok if you don’t, want to tell me”

She looked relieved, but an air of disappointment surrounded her.

Alex frowned at her sudden distress, worried that he may have upset her even more. “Melinda… are you ok? I didn’t mean to, upset you or anything like that…”

She quickly shook her head in a negative motion. “No, no, no… You didn’t upset me in any kind of way, it’s just… I…” She sighed softly. “I’m dealing with some… personal problems… I don’t want to bother you with them…”

Alex was mildly worried about her well-being, and wanted to say something to make her feel even a bit relieved, but nothing came to mind. “Oh, well… I hope there’s a way, I could help."

Melinda looked at him and smiled softly, but there was a hint of unease hidden behind it. “Thank you for your concern, but I’ll be fine.”

Alex didn’t look the least bit convinced, but decided to drop the subject and move on to something else. “So, how was, Second period?”

“It was alright, though my class was mostly filled with rowdy Juniors. The teacher was really nice, too.”

Alex smiled a little. “That’s um, cool. My class was, ok. The teacher’s a little strict, but I guess he’s, alright, once you get used to him.”

Melinda smiled and continued their conversation as they made their way to the Cafeteria.

As they drew nearer, the harsh mixture of sounds assaulted their ears first, followed by the delicious aroma of well-served, thoroughly cooked food, and if Alex heightened his senses a little more, he could smell his favorite food over the others--spaghetti.

The Cafeteria was an uproar of loud chattering and indistinctive noises, each table a cosseted huddle of the well-known groups around the school.

The Preps, or sometimes called ‘prefects’, sat in their usual area in the middle of the lunchroom. Some people think they chose that spot as a way of being the ‘center of attention’, but who really knows besides the group themselves. They were mostly made up of Seniors, with a sporadic few of lower classmen here and there who managed to snag a spot. They were basically the ones who uphold the social order of the school, meaning that their word was law.

The Mean Girls sat a little ways away from the Preps, and as the name suggest, is a group made up of fashionably cruel females. There were rumors surrounding the group that some were once part of the Preps, before they were kicked out for ‘abusing the social order’, but so far, no one knows if that is true. They are a diverse group of lower and upperclassmen that constantly gossip about others, whether or not they knew them personally, and spread false rumors to ruin people, sometimes just for fun.

The Jocks sat in the very back of the Cafeteria, some high-fiving each other and others making jeers at their fellow students. They were the ones who lived for sports and, in a sense, had more brawn than brains. They were mostly a group of Juniors and Seniors who would use that brawn to bully the lower classmen, whether for lunch money, homework answers, or just for the fun of it. You could say they were the male equivalent of the Mean Girls.

The Goths also sat in the back, but in a corner that was always shrouded in darkness, despite the sun being near its peak. They were a group of highly emotional Juniors who rather reflect their personality through their clothing, music, or other creative ways. Most groups tended to avoid the Goths, deeming them ‘weird’ for their constant dark clothing and depressive emotions. Despite their drawbacks, they excelled rapidly in the world of the Arts, whether through writing, dance, or artwork.

Last were the Geeks, who sat near the entrance of the Cafeteria with a few playing chess and others engaged in role-playing games. They are a highly intellectual group of lower classmen who focused more on staying indoors than going out. They excelled in their studies and spent their free time on video games, reading, or role-playing, and as a result, they became entertainment for the Jocks. Some tend to stray from the group and hang out with the Goths, as they share certain similar interests, but most kept to the group.

Alex and Melinda made their way through the cluster of students to the serving area to pick up their choice of food, ranging from meat and pasta dishes to a more healthy choice such as the various salads. Melinda picked a healthy choice of a garden salad and Alex had his favorite food in hand as soon as the cooks put more out on the counter.

Alex looked around the lunchroom, deciding on which place was best to sit and enjoy their food without any inconvenience. “Where do you want to sit?”

She looked around also, her eyes glancing over the various social groups in the lunchroom before they connected with a pair of icy blue glaring distastefully at her until they looked elsewhere. The contact was brief, but it was enough to make her decision. “Let’s go outside; it’s really nice today”

He looked outside and noticed the sky was clearing up, letting the sun shine its' rays upon the land. “Ok”

Walking down one of the aisles that formed from the parted tables, they passed the Geeks engrossed in their game of Dungeons & Dragons, walked by the Preps enjoying their healthy lunches and conversing about what would be happening this school year, idly avoided the Mean Girls pointing out individual students and whispering amongst each other, then laughing loudly, ambled by the Goths listening to soft, classical music and conducting creativity from the symphony, and quickly moved by the Jocks to avoid their aggressive manner and snide comments.

Or at least, they tried to.

Suddenly Alex hit something with his foot, and before he knew it he went crashing down to the floor, his tray of food spilling all about the ground and some of the spaghetti sauce splashed on his shirt.

The Cafeteria gradually became quiet, before the students started whispering amongst themselves.

Alex groaned softly from the feeling of his ribs poking his lungs harshly and stood slowly, noticing his food on the floor and the stains starting to set on his shirt. He saw a hand in his peripheral vision and gladly took it, seeing that it was Melinda who handed him a napkin to wipe away most of the stains.

He turned around just in time to see a foot retract back from the aisle and followed it up to meet a very familiar face.

“You still need to watch where you’re going, you mixed fucker. Even my foot can’t rest anywhere without you bumping into everything.”

Alex swallowed thickly and tried his best not to show how nervous he was.

“You gonna apologize properly this time?”

He started to sweat a little and his breathing was coming in quick, short bursts.

“Hey! He said apologize, you asshole!” One of the Junior Jocks yelled.

Through the haze of fear and utter embarrassment, he managed out a clear reply. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry I didn’t see your foot and tripped over it. It won’t happen again.”

Alex hoped that the apology was good enough, that way he could clean up the mess, excuse himself from Melinda, and make his way towards the nearest restroom to clean off the stains on his shirt that most likely have already set.

The boy he bumped into earlier that morning seemed to consider his response. “Hmph… not bad… but also not good”

Alex felt his hopes shrivel away.

The boy stood up and grabbed Alex by the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer so that their faces were mere inches apart, and whispered darkly. “This ain’t over you little fucker, so you better watch your back, and try not to get you little girlfriend involved, ‘cause I really don’t wanna do damage to a female. Do you understand?”

Alex swallowed again and nodded, too afraid to open his mouth.

The boy loosened the hold on his shirt, but didn’t let go of it fully, and said, “Oh, and by the way, the name’s Xavier, and it’ll be rude to not introduce yourself to another who gave you their name.”

Alex breathed out heavily, and replied. “Alexander”

The newly named Xavier gave a small grunt and released the hold on his collar, before roughly pushing him away. He sat back down at the table with the other Jocks and looked at Alex abhorrently. “And clean yourself up. You look like shit”

The Jocks laughed loudly at his joke and started high-fiving each other, going around saying ‘Good one X’, and ‘He probably can’t even clean himself’.

Alex looked down at his shirt and saw the stains that would now be impossible to clean out, then the floor where his food was left to rot, but luckily a janitor was there, already cleaning up the mess and making the floor shine in pristine color.

He looked towards Melinda, who was quiet during the whole fiasco, and saw her nervously looking at the table full of rowdy Jocks, jumping slightly when one of them yelled a little too loudly.

Alex walked over to her and gently grabbed her shoulders and guided her towards the door that led outside. He pushed them open and steered her to a table away from the onlookers watching through the windows. He picked one that was located underneath an old oak tree and she sat down, putting her tray on the table.

“Alex… are you ok?” She asked softly, and turned towards him.

He didn’t look back at her, already making his way back inside the school. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, and enjoy your lunch.”

She wanted to call out to him, but at that point he was already back inside the building, too far away to hear her.

Melinda didn’t know what to do; whether to follow her friend and make sure he was alright, or continue her lunch and just hope he comes back unharmed.

A few minutes went by and she remained at the table, contemplating about the wellbeing of her friend before the sound of footsteps was heard, coming closer to where she sat.

“Alex! I’m glad your…” She said, and turned around to the noise, but stopped herself from finishing her sentence at who was standing in front of her.

The stranger sighed deeply. “It is only the first day, and already you’ve made a fool out of yourself. It’s bad enough you disgrace our name, but to befriend one of those… _people_ , is a great shame on our family.”

Melinda looked down at her feet, hiding the tears brimming in her eyes.

The stranger glared at her. “Crying will get you nowhere, Melinda, and as long as this continues to happen, you will never amount to anything.” The stranger then turned around, and began walking away. “You’re a failure, and you always will be”

The sounds of footsteps gradually grew fainter and the stranger left her to wallow in her thoughts.

And cry her misery away.

X

Once Alex stepped into the restroom he headed straight for the sink and grabbed a small amount of paper towels. He turned on one of the sinks to ‘Hot’ and wet them with a generous amount of water, and started to wipe away the stains on his shirt.

He sighed softly. _‘Sometimes… I wonder why I even try…’_

Then a familiar voice answered. **_‘Sometimes, I wonder that as well’_ **

Alex frowned, and grabbed a new batch of paper towels to wet. _‘I don’t want to hear it’_

**_‘Oh, but I think you need to’_ **

He put more pressure on the stains that refused to be wiped away. _‘I said no. Now leave me alone’_

**_‘For as long as I have been with you, you have allowed for this Hell to continue… and I refuse to sit and watch this happen any longer’_ **

His frown deepened. _‘Oh, so now I matter to you. You never cared when I was a child, why now?’_

**_‘Because I assumed you would have toughen up from the torment, but it seems to have made you worse’_ ** It sighed heavily. **_‘I’m starting to regret my decision’_ **

Alex was so surprised he nearly dropped the wet paper towels in the sink.

**_‘That’s why I said you needed help this morning. Perhaps more socialization with more people, or at least a person, may help you in the future’_ **

There was a moment of silence until Alex responded. _‘Why would you think that?’_

The voice sighed again. **_‘You won’t like my answer…’_ **

_‘Tell me… please’_

There was a heartbeat of silence, and the voice replied. **_‘I figured that, since you won’t fight for yourself, then maybe you will for someone you are close to’_ **

The atmosphere in the bathroom was thick with tension, and the silence that followed made it more unnerving.

**_‘See, I told you’_ **

_‘But… you don’t know if she’s like the others. What if this is just a ploy to let my guard down? What if her and her brother are plotting to get me? What if he doesn’t even hate her like she claimed? What if… what if…’_

The voice chuckled, but in a teasing manner. **_‘You remember what I told you earlier today, correct?’_ **

He nodded slowly and went to throw away the paper towels.

**_‘Then try. Keep trying until you are absolutely sure that your past experiences will not repeat themselves’_ **

He nodded, but with a bit more determination than before.

Suddenly the bell ringed, and he jumped from the loud, shrill noise.

He sighed softly and made his way out of the restroom and through the now crowded hallway of students and administrators. He stayed closer to the wall to avoid the horde of people, hoping that Melinda was somewhere nearby.

He bumped into someone and flinched away from them, not wanting today's earlier events to repeat themselves, but a quick glimpse of blue and red made him grab the person's shoulders unconsciously.

“Me-Melinda?” He asked nervously.

The person inhaled sharply and turned towards him. “Alex! Are you ok? You never came back for lunch. I was worried.”

He sighed quietly, and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m fine, but I… can’t say the same for my shirt though.” He looked down at the spaghetti stains still present on his shirt. “They wouldn’t come out, no matter how hard I scrubbed.”

Melinda smiled and rubbed at her eyes, and Alex noticed how red and puffy they were.

“Melinda, are you ok? What happened, and why were you crying?” He asked out of concern.

“O-Oh” she said, and quickly wiped away at her eyes. “I got so worried when you didn’t come back that… that I started to think that something bad happened to you, and… well my mind came up with worst case scenarios and it just, overwhelmed me.”

Alex grabbed her by the shoulders and followed after the crowd of students going to class, making sure to stay near the back. “Uh… wow, um… thanks for uh, showing your concern for me, Melinda, but no need to cry over me, I’m fine.”

“Well, I was really worried about you”

The two continued their trek towards Third period in silence, since the events of what happened in the lunchroom were still fresh in their minds.

**_‘She is lying’_ **

_‘I know’_

**_‘Hmm… I have my theories, but I believe your encounter with that Xavier character may have caused something’_ **

_‘It’s possible, but I doubt he would intentionally hurt her just to get back at me’_

**_‘… Could it be her brother?’_ **

A thoughtful look appeared on his face. _‘It’s… also possible, but we don’t know anything about him’_

**_‘You need to talk to her about that’_ **

He sighed as he lead Melinda up a flight of stairs. _‘Later. Today was just too much to handle’_

**_‘Of course’_ ** There was a few beats of silence before the voice spoke again. **_‘… Alex?’_ **

_‘Yeah?’_

**_‘About your childhood… I’m sorry’_ **

His eyes widen in shock. _‘What?’_

The voice sighed. **_‘I should have helped you, but I didn’t. I just wanted you to stand up for yourself, and fight back, but I just sat here, and watched you slowly deteriorate, and for that, I am sorry’_ **

Alex smiled slightly and showed Melinda to her next class and began his trek for his. **_‘_ ** _Well, I guess I should apologize, too’_

**_‘For what?’_ **

He walked down a hallway and came to a classroom with its’ door wide open and walked inside, taking his usual seat in the back. He looked at the clock and saw that he had more than three minutes to spare before class began.

_‘I’m sorry you have to put up with someone like me’_

_~End of Chapter~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, and thanks for reading the very first chapter to my story! Now, to be honest, I can’t be working on this story 24/7, I have a full-time job and at-home responsibilities that I can’t ignore. Plus, I’m also working on creating another story, so… yeah, there’s that.
> 
> But anyway, the reason behind the creation of this story actually was a scant couple of years ago, when I was sitting at home all day, jobless and wasting away my creativity through a side hustle in babysitting.
> 
> I was sitting in my bedroom, cruising the internet with the TV as background noise and a baby sleeping next to me when I came across a news article about how there was another slaying of an African American man by the police, and that people were upset about the thoughts of gay marriage, or same-sex parents. I usually don’t put much thought into these because I know what it’ll cause. A bunch of senseless violence and pointed fingers at who's to blame.
> 
> But somehow, someway… I took an idea from what my eyes had laid upon, and twisted it into my own lovely creation. And thus, this story was born.
> 
> Don’t expect much from me, like I said earlier, I do have a busy life, heck it took me over a year to make this chapter because I kept starting over with the introduction. The first version of this was enough to make me cringe. Like… how did my brain come up with this? Why even?
> 
> But enough about that, I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter of my story, and I’ll hopefully see you soon!
> 
> Additional Note: I noticed that the term 'middle-aged' refers to people in their fifties, but for me, it means people in their thirties. I know it sounds weird, but that's how I see it, and that's how it shall remain. Sorry for any mix-ups.
> 
> -AJ
> 
> Word Count: ~10,400
> 
> Uploaded: Nov. 20, 2017


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warning(s): Language

The clock ticked away as Alex sat in Algebra class waiting for the bell to ring, but it felt like it was taking forever for even the warning bell to sound off.

He just wanted this day to be over and done with.

He sighed and folded his arms on the desk and laid his head atop them, his eyes glazed over as if in thought, seemingly ignoring the students that gradually walked in.

He could hear them converse amongst each other, muttering about any of today’s earlier matters, between which classes they hated and which students they apparently held contempt towards.

But unfortunately, he seemed to be quite a popular topic.

Which isn’t surprising.

“Hey, look! There’s the guy…”

“… tripped. He’s definitely doing it for attention…”

“… Xavier’s gonna beat his ass…”

“… still has stains on his uniform…”

“… the fucking idiot…”

Alex flinched a little at that last comment and slowly laid his head further down on the desk to cover his face entirely as if he were asleep.

**_'Ignore them’_ ** The voice said suddenly. **_‘Their opinions don’t matter’_ **

Alex sighed as the bell ringed for class to begin. _‘That’s what you think’_

Students hurried and picked their seats just as the teacher walked in, arms full of paper separated by colorful tabs and a water bottle in hand. She put the papers and bottle on her desk and turned towards the class. “Good afternoon everyone! My name is Evelynn Phillips and welcome to Algebra II Honors! Now, when I call out your name, please answer so I may hand out the syllabus. Kanesha Albany…”

“Here”

“Courtney Allensworth…”

“Here”

“Alexander Anderson…”

“Here”

The teacher walked towards him but stopped short and frowned, as if she saw something that upset her.

Alex gulped nervously as sweat began to glisten on his forehead since he did not know how this teacher would treat him. Ms. Phillips had only been here for a few months (starting back in March of this year), and since she was still considered new, he--along with the rest of the student body--knew nothing of the woman or her teaching mechanisms.

But it didn’t matter how well she taught or how strict she was…

She would be just like everyone else.

“Young man” the teacher started, this gaining everyone's attention. “I will not have you in my class with your uniform in disarray and covered in filth. It is against dress code and can result in an automatic suspension, but since it is the first day, I will let you off with a warning. Do you understand me, young man?”

Alex nodded, avoiding eye contact with her, not wanting to see the contempt they most likely held.

The teacher did not seemed pleased by his actions if her twitching eyebrow was anything to go by. “I expect a verbal response young man, as well as eye-to-eye contact”

Alex turned to her, his gray eyes meeting her light brown ones and he shifted uneasily. “Y-Yes, ma’am”

She narrowed her eyes and looked him up and down as if taking him in for the first time. “Alright. Now, I will write you a pass to go to the main office for a new shirt. Do you know where it is, or do need help finding it?”

Alex shook his head no. “N-No, ma’am. I know where it is”

The teacher walked towards her desk and pulled out a purple notecard and began writing on it. Once done, she gave it to him, but not without a warning. “And please, do not take too long young man”

Alex nodded, giving off another ‘Yes ma’am’ in the process before bounding out the classroom.

X

Alex quickly walked through the hallways to get to the stairs, idly avoiding students that were loitering about, most likely skipping class.

He heard them gossip about him as he walked by, they were pointing at him and laughing, making obscene gestures and comments, whether it was about his stained uniform or the fact that his first bully of many is going to absolutely destroy him.

Either way, he did his best to ignore them, but their sneering looks and vulgar comments made it very difficult.

He heard a deep sigh and knew immediately who it came from. **_‘You know better than to listen to their useless chatter’_ **

Alex narrowed his eyes in annoyance as he made his way down the stairs to the first floor. _‘Easier said than done’_

The voice released a drawn-out groan, with a few incoherent sounds thrown in the mix, apparently displeased. **_‘Trust me, it’s not hard at all’_ **

Alex continued his trek through the hallways, quite frequently getting stopped by administrators roaming the halls, searching for any wayward students.

Most gave him abhorrent gazes as if the mere sight of him made them nauseous and immediately want to leave the area. He could hear them mutter the word ‘mulatto’ in distaste as he walked away after showing them his hall pass, though he couldn’t have been shocked or even angry about it.

It happens so much he shouldn’t be surprised anymore.

He should’ve expected it.

But the term ‘mulatto’ was a rarity in and of its own. It’s not a word he hears often, nor is he used to it, but he knows it exists.

When he first heard it, he had been a little kid, not even in grade school yet and was brought to a local playground by his Mother, hoping to get him to socialize with other children.

It had worked for a short while; playing in a sandbox with four other kids was really fun, especially getting dirt and sand in his hair after one of them initiated in a war.

But the sun was sinking lower and lower and the weather getting colder by the minute that it was their cue to get ready and go home. But of course, the children ignored the calls of their parents as they wanted to play for a bit longer, no matter how tired they were.

The first to come search for them were the other children's parents, to which they fussed and cursed about how they should answer when someone calls them.

But once they caught a glimpse of him, covered head-to-toe in dirt and sand and smiling like an idiot, showing them nothing but childlike innocence in all its’ glory of big, bright eyes and missing teeth…

He should have known better back than.

They quickly pulled their children away in fear--as if a four-year-old child could really do any harm--and kicked sand in his face. They yelled obscenities and the like and told him to stay away from their children, while the kids looked on in confusion and unease.

One parent yelled the term ‘mulatto’ in a heavy Spanish accent before roughly pulling her child away, the others following not far behind.

He didn’t hear the sound of his heavy breathing nor feel the liquid slip from his eyes. The sound of his Mother’s frantic footsteps went unheard when she picked him up from the sandy flooring to hug him dearly, almost crushing him in her grasp as she spoke worriedly in her native tongue.

The only sound that caught his attention was the deep, raspy voice coming from somewhere nearby, despite being the only two in the area.

**_‘You’re a fool to believe in their camaraderie, it will only hurt you in the end’_ **

As his vision cleared from the remnants of the past, he realized that he was almost through the remains of the Extracurricular Floor, with just a few more hallways to go.

**_‘Reminiscing of my confinement now, are you?’_ ** The voice spoke in that mocking tone.

_‘It’s not exactly a happy memory, either’_ He sighed and continued his mini trek down a hall to the right where he spotted a student standing in the middle of the hallway, ridged and unmoving, similar to a military man facing their superiors.

And if not for the fact that their eyes were following him, Alex would have mistaken them for a statue.

The student was a young, pale-skinned male around his age with blonde, almost white hair, wearing the standard school uniform with not a single crease or wrinkle in place. His face was void of any and all emotions, and that set Alex a little on edge.

The impassive ones were always hard to figure out.

“Do you have a hall pass?” The boy asked in a soft whisper, even his voice bare of any sentiment.

“U-Um… y-yes, I do” Alex stuttered and nervously brought out his slightly wrinkled hall pass, part of it barely legible.

The boy looked at it with a hint of disgust and took the pass with his thumb and forefinger, holding it as far away from his person as possible.

Alex looked down at the other boy’s shoes, a pair of sleek, black dress shoes that seemed quite costly, and definitely more elegant than his worn-out, faded Converse.

He felt so insignificant among people such as this.

The boy made an indistinguishable noise which caused Alex to look up into the icy-blue eyes of the boy, narrowed in irritation.

“This pass is hardly legible and therefore unusable for any purposes other than waste for garbage.” The boy breathed out, his voice uncaring.

Alex gulped nervously and stammered out a reply. “I-I’m sorry… I was, in a rush t-to get to the Main O-Office… s-so that I could h-hurry back to c-class, and… um, ah…” He couldn’t think of anything else to say.

The boy raised an eyebrow as if bored of the situation. “Is that all you have to say?”

Alex was a little unsettled by his reply but decided to continue. “Um… w-well I… I was, g-going to the M-Main Office to… to get m-my shirt r-replaced, and… that’s all” He finished off poorly.

The boy gave him a long, pensive look before he closed his eyes and released a deep, drawn-out sigh. “Though I doubt the credibility of your hall pass, and believe that you wrote it yourself, it is, without a doubt, that you are, at least, truthful about the situation of your uniform. So with that, I will allow you to pass.”

Alex felt any and all stress slowly melt away at that and let a small, sincere smile spread across his face. “T-Thank you, very much… uh… um” His face turned a light shade of red in embarrassment. He never asked the boy’s name.

The boy seemed to ignore his apparent discomfort and replied. “It is Zane, and please, do not thank me, I refuse to take a compliment from a being such as yourself.”

Alex’s face fell as the crushing reminder of his everyday troubles came back full force from that reply. His eyes lowered to the ground, his posture slack and despondent. “Oh… well, have a… good day, then.” And with that, he walked away, further down the hall, away from the boy.

**_‘Well, at least he was formal about his dislike for you’_ ** The voice said after they were no longer in the hallway of the pale-skinned boy.

Alex shook his head in negative. _‘It doesn’t matter, my best bet is to avoid him like everyone else’_

The voice made a _tching_ sound **_‘Not gonna be so easy anymore, is it?’_ **

Alex frowned in contemplation. _‘… I only met one person today, two if you count that Xavier guy. At least one of them is out in the open about their intentions’_

**_‘Still having doubts about our little friend?’_ **

Alex huffed. _‘Well she has a brother, and we have no idea who that is, plus, she’s a female, and you know how females are’_

**_‘Wow, that sounds mighty sexist of you’_ ** The voice chided mockingly.

Alex only looked mildly guilty, but still held on to his conviction. _‘Well… it’s not like it isn’t true’_

The voice only placated. **_‘Fair enough’_ **

The link ended just as Alex realize he was at the entrance to the Main Office; apparently the conversation with the voice having taken much of his time then he noticed.

He pulled open the door and walked through the office, ignoring the lingering students who stopped to point and whisper at him and headed towards the desk of the Head Secretary.

Instead, in her place, was the African-American woman from earlier this morning, Monica Williams, her assistant.

He approached the desk, feeling the sweat rolling down his back at how nervous he was, seeing the hard-at-work woman bent at the desk typing furiously on the keyboard.

“U-Um… e-excuse me, ma'am…”

Her head shot up immediately, handiwork stilling almost as soon as he spoke, and gave him a welcoming smile, before noticing his ruined shirt. “Oh dear, what happened to your shirt sweetheart?”

His eyes widened briefly at the sincere sentiment he received from the Assistant Secretary, before going back to neutral indifference. He didn’t want to believe that the assistant would show him any form of genuine concern for his well-being.

Some females are good at that, hiding their true selves.

He took half a moment to think of a reasonable lie, hoping she’d buy it, despite the feeling of doubt eating him up. “O-Oh, I tripped and fell at Lunch… and my food got on my shirt”

The assistant gave him a mournful look. “Oh dear, you poor child… don’t worry, I’ll get you settled, just tell me your name and grade level”

His eyes widen this time in utter shock, not believing that the assistant actually bought his bogus story. It should be all over the school about his little mishap at Lunch, and if the teachers weren’t passing it along the students definitely will.

So how come she did not know?

**_‘Sympathy and lying’_ ** The voice supplied, sounding so sure.

He ignored it and answered the assistants’ previous statement. “Alexander Anderson, Sophomore”

“Ok, let’s see here…” She turned towards the computer and did a fury of rapid, fast-paced typing, not once looking at the keyboard. “Alexander L’Amour Anderson?”

“Y-Yes ma’am” He mumbled, a bit embarrassed.

She typed some more before saying, “L’Amour? That’s a very pretty name” She had a bright smile on her face when she finally turned towards him.

Alex’s cheeks redden a bit and he looked away from her beaming face. “Thank you”

“It sounds like it’s in another language. What does it mean?” She asked.

If it weren’t possible his face turned an even darker shade of red. “It’s French. It means love”

Her smiled got even bigger as she let out a quiet squeal. “Oh! That’s so cute!”

Alex just looked on in confusion as she dissolved into more quiet squeals and giggles. “Um… thank you?”

She smiled again. “You are quite welcome” Then she turned back to the computer and typed some more. “Alright, if you’ll just have a seat, your Guidance Counselor will be with you in a moment.”

“Ok… thank you, ma’am” He said and walked towards one of the empty sofas pushed back against a wall and sat down.

Watching the clock slowly tick by and hearing the keyboards with their monotonous clacking was enough to make him grow bored, so he hummed a little song to make the time go by while waiting for his Guidance Counselor.

**_‘Your Guidance Counselor… tell me Alex, do you still hate her?’_ ** The voice questioned suddenly.

Alex chuckled humorlessly and resumed his humming. _‘What do you think. You’re inside my head’_

**_‘True, but remember what I said about dealing with that woman’_ **

Alex immediately stopped humming and frowned. _‘I told you that I won’t let that happen again’_

**_‘I know what you said’_ ** The voice placated calmy. **_‘But… if it gets to be too much for you, you know what to do’_ **

Alex _tched_ and his frowned lessen only slightly. _‘Whatever’_

Suddenly the phone ringed, and the Secretary’s Assistant answered. “Secretary Office, this is Monica Williams, how may I help you?” She paused and nodded. “Ok, I’ll send him in” The sound of the phone being gently put back on the receiver was heard. “Alexander Anderson, your Guidance Counselor will see you now”

He stood up, body shaking of the impending meeting with the Counselor and headed towards the office. He stood in front of the door for a few minutes, contemplating about whether or not to knock on the door until he heard the voice of the Counselor growling through it. “Please come in Mr. Anderson, and do hurry up. I do not have all day”

He gulped, and nervously reached for the door handle, hands refusing to cooperate as he finally turned the knob and opened the door.

There, sitting at the desk fingers laced together to hide the thin line of her lips, sat the Guidance Counselor for the Sophomores, Alannah Ó'Máille.

The Counselor is a young, Caucasian woman with quite a small, petite frame, making her appear younger than she actually is. She has shoulder-length blonde hair with loose curls here and there, despite her dark roots, letting everyone know she wasn’t a natural blonde. She has piercing muddy-green eyes narrowed in apparent annoyance, with a large black mole right above her left eyebrow.

Alex swallowed harshly before stepping inside, closing the door on his way in. He could feel the tension in the air, so thick he could cut it with a knife.

She was not in a good mood today.

“Sit” She commanded, and Alex followed through without complaint. “Now” She started. “Explain to me why you are here”

He shifted nervously in the chair and recounted the events that led up to his unfortunate predicament, making sure to leave out anything that might sound incriminating.

The Counselor nodded here and there, occasionally checking her nails, as if bored. Once he finished, he released a shaky breath before leaning back into the chair, seemingly exhausted.

The Counselor tapped her long, manicured fingers on the desk for a few moments, before replying. “Is that all?”

Alex nodded, feeling uncomfortable from her piercing gaze.

“Ok…” The Counselor sighed. “So you’re saying, that you tripped at Lunch, and it made your food spill on your uniform”

He nodded once more.

The Counselor stared at him with intense muddy-green eyes, before narrowing in annoyance. “Do you take me for a fool, boy?”

Alex jumped and responded in a shaky tone. “N-N-No, m-ma’am”

“Do you honestly think I don’t know what happened in the Cafeteria?”

“Um… I-I-”

“People have loose lips around here, boy… and you of all people should know that by now” She moved a few strands of hair out of her face, the curls having lost most of its bounce. “So, what could you have possibly done to antagonize Mr. Williams? And don’t lie to me boy… I know you did something”

Alex tensed but replied nonetheless. “W-Well, um… e-earlier this morning, I was on m-my way to Homeroom, we both t-t-turned a corner at the same time… and slammed into each other, and fell on the floor…”

The Counselor raised an eyebrow. “Is that all?”

Alex shook his head. “N-No, ma’am… He asked me to, apologize… and got upset when my a-apology didn’t appease him.”

The Counselor remained silent for a few short moments, taking into account the incident that happened earlier today, as well as the individuals, before making a decision. “Well Mr. Anderson, it looks like you’ve gotten yourself into a very… delicate situation.”

Alex frowned, obviously confused. “How do you mean, ma’am?”

The Counselor sighed heavily and tapped her manicured nails on her desk in a languid manner. “Mr. Williams has quite the talent for sports, especially basketball. Currently, he’s our star player for the Junior Varsity team for such sport, and, as you can see, is very popular with a great portion of the student body and staff. He serves as our victory in the athletics, and, give-or-take circumstances, could rise to Varsity in just a few short months.”

Alex blinked, understanding dawning on him. “You don’t want me to ruin his reputation”

The Counselor nodded. “Precisely, boy” She replied, in a no-nonsense manner. “He is here on an athletic scholarship, and we can’t have anything damaging that, especially not something like you.”

Alex nodded in comprehension. “Y-Yes, ma’am. I… I understand”

“Good” She nodded once more and leaned back into her chair. “Now, about your uniform…”

He looked down at his shirt, momentarily forgetting what he actually came here for.

The Counselor sighed deeply and pulled opened a drawer from her desk, taking out a set of keys before she stood up and walked around her desk. “Come, boy. I don’t have all day” She opened the door and walked out without a backwards glance towards him.

Alex quickly stood as well and hurried after her, her brisk pace making it all the more harder to keep up with her, despite her heels thumping against the carpeted floor.

They came upon a large wooden double-door, with a sign above it that read ‘Uniforms’ in bold, black letters. The Counselor inserted the key in the lock and, with a twist, unlocked the door and pushed it open. She stepped inside, Alex following closely behind as the door closed behind them without any force to push it; it was rather ominous.

They walked through the large room full of dry-clean, pristine uniforms of different sizes all lined up neatly according to their measurements.

“What is your size, boy?” the Counselor asked, tightly.

Alex didn’t miss a beat and answered back pointedly. “Medium”

The Counselor wasted no time in finding his size and practically threw the shirt at him, which he caught in his hands almost effortlessly, fortunately.

“You have your shirt now boy, change into it and come back with the soiled one.” The Counselor said, voice strained as if to keep herself calm.

Alex wasted no time in retreating from the large, stuffy room and quickly speed-walked down the hall towards the bathroom to change.

Once inside one of the stalls, he shut the door harshly and locked it with a resounding _click_. He sighed in relief at having to deal with such a difficult situation, and finally have a chance to catch his breath.

**_‘Well… that went better than we expected’_ **

Alex released a shaky breath, surprised at how lenient she had been with him, especially concerning the situation.

He sighed but replied otherwise. _‘I guess so’_

**_‘So our would-be tormentor turns out to be nothing more than all brawn and no brains.’_ ** The voice chuckled, just shy of a full-blown laugh. **_‘How typical’_ **

He ignored the comment and started unbuttoning his shirt in a hurried manner, not wanting to keep the Counselor waiting any longer than needed.

He pulled it off to reveal his lean, slightly muscled body in nothing more but a white wife-beater, with a multitude of scars and slightly discolored marks decorating his skin like some obscene artwork. Putting the ruined shirt on the hook on the back of the stall door, he pulled off the plastic covering and slipped into the other and buttoned up the shirt before tucking the edges into his pants.

Once done, he unlocked the stall door and walked out of the bathroom, making his way back towards the storage full of uniforms where the Counselor stood waiting for his return, impatiently tapping her foot upon the floor.

When she caught sight of him she made no effort to meet him halfway instead, she remained standing in front of the large warehouse full of uniforms, fingers drumming along her arm in annoyance.

He stopped before her and handed her his used uniform put neatly on the hanger. The Counselor looked at it in revulsion, but she eventually took it from his hands and stiffly walked back inside the room.

“Leave.” she said firmly without a backwards glance at him as the door to the warehouse was shut in his face, the sound reverberated loudly.

He wasted no time in turning around and leaving the storage room and the Counselor to her devices, not dwelling on why she seemed less aggressive than usual.

He had to get back to class.

Hopefully, he hadn’t taken too long.

X

As it turns out, he had taken quite longer than necessary, for as soon as he headed for the stairs to go back to Third Period, the bell ringed.

He sighed as the throng of students gradually made their way from class to class, chatting idly as they moved about.

He ignored their pointed fingers and whispered words and made his way up the stairs, making his way back to Third Period to grab his belongings. Once done, he left with a stern look from the teacher asking _“Where have you been? It should not have taken you that long to get a new uniform”_ , to which he replied, _“Sorry… they had trouble finding my size”_ , he walked down the hall towards another classroom, where he could spot the familiar form of black hair and baby-blue eyes in the distance.

“H-Hey Melinda… ready for Fourth Period?”, he said, just as she turned towards him, eyes wide as if startled.

A shy smile stretched across her face as she nodded.

He nodded, with an _‘Alright, off we go then”_ , and lead her to the staircase walking to the Fourth floor. They made it there in record time, with only a little under two minutes to spare, so they took the time to find any seats they liked, which happened to be at the very front of the class.

They sat next to each other in silence, patiently waiting for the bell to ring as more and more students gradually filled the room.

But there was one student that struck out more than the rest.

The sound of Melinda’s small gasp and downtrodden look immediately afterwards was enough to give it away.

It was the boy from the hallway during his trip down to the Main Office.

He said his name is Zane.

And he didn’t look very happy to be here.

But to make him feel, at least, a little bit better, he went to reassure his friend. “Melinda… are you okay?”

She nodded and moves to face the front of the classroom again, only to make eye-contact with the pale-haired boy, Zane.

They held their gazes for a moment’s glance, baby-blue filled with sorrow and resignation, and icy-blue holding contempt and absolute hatred.

And as quickly as it happened, the stare was broken first by the boy as he quietly scoffed, and walked away to a seat in the very back of the class.

Alex frowned. Something about that situation worried him quite deeply, but he didn’t know what to do on how to approach it.

**_‘Why don’t you ask her?’_ **

Alex jumped slightly though, thankfully, not enough to warrant attention from his peers. _‘What?’_

The voice sighed and repeated slowly, every word being crisp and coherent. **_‘I said, why. Don’t. You. Ask. Her?’_ **

Alex breathed out deeply. _‘I heard what you said but, why would I do that? We only met today. That’s not a lot to get to know a person’_

The voice scoffed. **_‘Then it’s your loss’_ ** , and faded away into his subconscious.

More and more students began to pile inside the classroom as the bell ringed, and right behind them shows the teacher, large cup of coffee in hand. “Good afternoon, class. My name is Abdul Wulandari, but you can call me Mr. Dari if you wish. Now, onto the roll call. Chelsea Aberdeen…”

More and more names were called, with Alex answering to his name with a simple ‘Here’ as he zoned out the rest until a familiar name caught his attention.

“Melinda Marković…”

Her reply was very timid but loud and coherent enough for everyone to hear. “… Here”

_‘Marković’_ Alex supplied vaguely. The name sounding of Russian origins, but he wasn’t too sure. All he knows is that it’s of European descent.

He was almost back to zoning out again when another name caught his attention as well.

“Zane Marković…”

“Here” He didn’t have to figure out who that voice belonged to, having the same soft whisper void of any emotion.

**_‘Looks like we found him’_ ** The voice chimed in a sing-song tune.

Alex decided not to respond.

The teacher looked up from his roll-call sheet and did quick glances between the two students. “Do you two happen to be related?” He asked, curious. “Yes, we are. We are brother and sister. Twins” The boy, Zane, replied back uninterested. The teacher nodded and went back to the remaining names on the list.

Alex glanced at Melinda out of the corner of his eye, seeing the downtrodden look on her face as she nervously played with fingers.

Class preceded on as usual with little to no change from what is predicted to happen throughout the rest of the day; attend classes, make and meet new friends, tote around large and heavy hardback subject books, and avoid any and all conflict.

Well… easier said than done.

So when the end of Fourth Period drew closer, along with the school day, Alex grew eager to finally go home at last. He grabbed whatever items he managed to get from the teacher when the bell finally sounded, and students left and right were hurriedly packing their bags to leave. “Have a good day everyone, I wish you all a very blessed day.” the teacher said, accent heavy on his words as he stepped out the classroom.

With his bag on his back, Alex waited for Melinda to also gather her things and prepare to leave for the day.

Of course, he didn’t have to do it… he could have just left her there in his rush to hurry and get home… after all, she has her brother with her, despite what she said about their rocky relationship…

But, that wouldn’t be the right thing to do.

He was raised better than that, after all.

“What, are you doing?” A voice questioned behind him, tone too close to anger.

He turned around to meet the icy-blue eyes of Melinda’s now-known brother, Zane.

He shifted from foot-to-foot in a nervous manner and swallowed harshly. “Ah… I’m, waiting for Melinda…”

“Why?” Zane asked, his voice low, just shy of being menacing. “You are not needed. Do everyone a favor and leave; you are nothing but a pain and a nuisance.”

Alex stood there, not moving a single muscle and looking off to the side, ignoring Melinda’s startled gasp. Zane grabbed his arm in a tight grip and forcibly moved him to the side, making him hit the edge of a table. He wiped his hand along his uniform pants in utter disgust and grabbed Melinda by her arm.

“Enough of this nonsense, we are leaving. Now” He began dragging her towards the door.

Melinda thought otherwise. “W-Wait! Zane you can’t-”

“Shut up, you foolish girl” He tightened his grip.

“Z-Zane! You’re hurting me-!”

“I do not care, now be quiet”

She turned around just as they passed the threshold of the door. “Alex! I’m sorry-” And they disappeared down the hallway.

He stood there in silence, ignoring the sounds of teachers and students alike happily chatting away as they all headed towards the school’s entrance to go home.

**_‘Alex…’_ ** The voice started.

He ignored it and walked out the classroom into the horde of people.

**_‘Alex, stop ignoring me’_ **

People purposely shoved into him in the hopes of either intimidating him or embarrassing him.

He paid it no mind.

**_‘You’re just making assumptions’_ **

Once outside he quickly scanned the parking lot for a dark blue Dodge Charger, hoping to get away as fast as possible.

Of course, he wasn’t so lucky.

A hand grabbed his shoulder and forcibly turned him around and came face-to-face with the dark-skinned male he met earlier, Xavier.

“Where’d you think you’re going, funny eyes?” He asked aggressively.

Alex said nothing, just stared down at his shoes.

“Not gonna talk, huh?” Xavier asked, and shoved him away.

Alex did nothing in retaliation, just stood there in silence.

Xavier tsked his teeth, mumbling an angry “Fuckin’ loser”, before walking away.

Alex wasted no time in leaving the scene to find his Mother’s car.

It took him no time to locate it, as it was the very first car in the line-up and he opened the rear passenger door and threw his bag on the floor, following quickly as he grabbed his seatbelt and buckled in.

His Mother turned to him, her smile a ray of needed sunshine for his blue Monday. “How was school? Meet anyone new?”

Grey eyes met chocolate brown, and he nervously shifted in his seat. “Well… the only person who I met today so far was Melinda”

His Mother tilted her head slightly. “The girl we met earlier?”

He nodded. “Yeah”

She smiled brightly, eyes crinkling in excitement. “That’s wonderful! Oh, I hope it goes well!” She turned back around and started the car, putting it in drive and pulling out of the loop. “Just think! Pretty soon you’ll be hanging out with others instead of being cooped up in the house all the time! _Oh, ça ne serait pas merveilleux?”_

Alex shifted in his seat in anxiousness from his Mother’s frantic ranting in her home language, and turned his attention towards the window, looking at anything and everything that passed by.

**_‘Don’t think that you can just push me away’_ **

Alex sighed and closed his eyes, temporarily blocking out his Mother’s rant to focus on the voice. _‘I’m not pushing you away. Believe me, I’ve tried’_

The voice huffed in annoyance. **_‘This isn’t a joking matter, Alex’_ **

_‘Who said I was joking?’_

**_‘Stop it. You’re just overreacting. This isn’t going to be like the other times’_ **

Alex narrowed his eyes in irritation. _‘And what makes you so sure? You don’t have to deal with these problems every day. I have to’_

**_‘But watching you sit here and suffer is all the same. Besides, she feels… different, then the others… I can’t really describe it’_ **

Alex huffed out a _‘whatever’_ before severing the connection, just in time for his Mother to ask him something. “Alex, what would you like for dinner tonight?”

He didn’t even give it a second thought on what he was craving. “Can we have baked spaghetti?”

“With the pepperoni’s on top?” His Mother questioned.

Alex nodded. “Yeah. The school lunch wasn’t all that great today”

She chuckled, her tinkling laughter making him feel warm inside. _“Alex, nous venons de manger des spaghettis hier”_

He shifted in his seat, knowing his Mother was teasing him over his love of his favorite food. “I know… but I’m just, craving for it, right now”

She laughed once more. “Alright, alright. I guess another day of a spaghetti dish will not hurt”

Alex smiled slightly and turned his attention back out the window and whispered loud enough only for him to hear. _“Merci mère”_

_~End of Chapter~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow.
> 
> So… this took a long time to upload. Like, over a year of doing a layout, a rough draft, a proofread and then a final proofread of this chapter.
> 
> A year.
> 
> I honestly have no good excuses for being this late. I could have uploaded this way back in February of 2018, but once I looked over the layout of the chapter, I got so upset of how terrible it was that I deleted the entire thing and had to start over from scratch.
> 
> I hated it. I absolutely hated it.
> 
> Not to mention I always struggled with starting a story off. I have all the ideas for the major events that progress the story further along, but I can never start it properly.
> 
> It’s literally my number one problem with making stories. Even my other story I’m working on took a backseat because I can’t start it off correctly.
> 
> But oh well, everyone can’t be perfect.
> 
> Anyways, I apologize for the horrid lateness of this chapter, but hopefully, Chapter 3 won’t take anywhere near as long as this one.
> 
> See ya!
> 
> -AJ
> 
> Word Count: ~5,800
> 
> Uploaded: Nov. 30, 2018


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Warning(s): Language, Physical Confrontation

“So Alex, are you excited for your second day of school tomorrow?”

He took a moment to answer, thinking of what to say without causing worry. “I wouldn’t say excited… more like, nervous.”

Laughter filled the air along with the sounds of pots and pans. “Well, it is safe to say that I understand your anxiousness. I was like that too when attending school, back at home and in America.”

The sound of water was heard being filled in a pot and placed on a smooth surface. “I’m sure I’ll get over it once I get used to all the new people and whatnot.”

The quiet _click_ of a dial turning followed by the constant _snap!_ of something brittle. “And who knows, you might make more friends.”

A nervous chuckle sounded and the rush of water is heard again. “I, sure hope so”

Alex turned off the faucet for the water and put the dish on a drying rack and proceeded to dry his hands on a dish towel lying on the counter. He went to the stove and began stirring a pot full of seasoned meat and spaghetti sauce while his Mother continued to break more noodles in a boiling pot of water.

“Hey, Mom?” He asked once the concoction in the pot was blended well.

“Yes, Alex?” She answered after taking a noodle out of the pot and taste-tested it.

“Have you ever wanted to go back home? To France?”

His Mother stopped stirring the noodles, but only for half a second before mixing them once again, with a far-off look on her face.

Alex silently _tched!_ his teeth as he watched his Mother stir the pot with a lot less enthusiasm than before. The distant look in her eyes only seemed to grow stronger the more she remained silent; reminiscing of days before and memories back then that only she could see.

And it didn’t take a genius to realize that they weren’t the most pleasant.

Alex didn’t mean to intrude or sound nosy--truly he didn’t, he could blame it all on curiosity--but he wanted to know what it was like in France. He didn’t care that its’ most redeeming quality of the country was Paris, being nicknamed the ‘City of Love’ (despite the grueling history lying below its’ city streets), he wanted to know more about his Mother’s native home.

Besides, doing Google searches and Wikipedia research could only get him so far.

And maybe (if he was lucky), ask about the whereabouts of his Father, and if he had any other living relatives.

But it looked like it wouldn't happen today (or for a while actually).

“Mom-”

“I told you before, Alex… there is nothing for me to go back home to”

There was an unyielding silence as his Mother took the pot of thoroughly cooked noodles off the stove and into the sink to drain in a bowl. Alex just quietly stirred the pot of meat as his Mother brought out a pan and poured the noodles in.

“Ok Alex, you can add the meat now. I’ll get the cheese and pepperonis”

“Ok”

He poured the meat into the pan and used the large, stainless-steel spoon to mix the concoction thoroughly so the food wouldn’t be sitting on top of each other. His Mother came back with shredded cheese and large pepperonis in hand and gently layered them atop the meat and noodles. Once done, she opened the oven and placed the pan inside the preheated area and closed the door with her hip in a quick bout of eagerness.

Alex remained silent through it all, a small frown marring his imperfect features.

His Mother turned towards him and frowned herself, before letting out a resigned sigh. “Alex, I know you want to learn more about my life back at home, but… you have been asking me the same thing for the past eight years, and every time it’s the same answer.” She grabbed both of his shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug. “There is nothing for me to go back to in France. Everyone I loved and adored is gone… and now, it’s just painful memories.” Her voice wavered slightly as she hugged him tighter, and Alex felt the guilt and regret rise up inside him almost immediately.

For the last eight years he has been asking his Mother the same question over and over again like a mantra, constantly stuck on repeat with no hope of fixing it. From age seven until now, his curiosity for his Mother’s hometown grew and grew until it finally got the best of him when he heard her speak in the native language more times than he could count.

And at that time, he had thought that his childish curiosity of learning and mastering another language would gain him, at the very least, _one_ friendship.

Not in any way, shape or form was it used as a means to brag or to gloat, but he figured that if he could tell the other kids that he knew more than one language, he could show them how useful he could be and not just a waste of space.

It didn’t work. But that didn’t stop him from trying it out through the years until a well-placed punch in the stomach from an irritated fifth grader made him stop for good. Now he only did it in the company of his Mother.

But the language wasn’t everything. He wanted to learn more about the culture and lifestyle, experience the beauty within its’ history with his own eyes instead of reading about it on articles and seeing photos of the historical landmarks. Call him selfish, but he was hoping that maybe, one day, if he asked his Mother more and more, eventually she’ll give in and adhere to his yearnings.

But that most certainly was not going to happen today.

And hearing his Mother’s quiet sniffles made him feel even worse about himself.

**_‘Shame on you, Alex’_ ** The voice admonished scornfully. **_‘Making your Mother cry’_ **

_‘I… I didn’t… I didn’t mean… to’_ Alex replied mournfully.

The voice sighed deeply and continued on. **_‘It’s time you gave up these ludicrous thoughts and ideas. You’d think, that after eight years of asking the same thing and getting the same answer you would give up.’_ ** The voice chuckled mirthlessly. **_‘But you didn’t. Of course you didn’t. I know you better than anyone else that you’re not one to give up so quickly.’_ **

Alex shifted in his Mother’s arms and hugged her tighter, resting his head against her sternum and rubbing her back in a way to soothe her, speaking in a low, soft voice. “ _Je suis désolé, maman_. I didn’t mean to upset you”

His Mother chuckled wetly and pushed him away gently to gaze down at his bright grey eyes framed behind large glasses, wiping away any stray tears that had gathered in her eyes. _“Oh mon amour,_ there is nothing to be sorry about. I’m just… not ready, to tell you about my life back in France.” She smiled in a tender way and reached up to run her fingers through his thick hair. “Maybe one-day _mon amour_ , just give me some time, ok?”

Alex smiled, though quite small and modest compared to his Mother’s wide grin, almost showing teeth. “Ok”

His Mother tenderly untangled his more unruly knots of hair before letting him go to turn her attention towards the food slowly burning in the oven.

“ _Oh non!”_ His Mother quickly put on a pair of old and used oven mitts and opened the oven door, fanning away at the smoke wafting out as she grabbed the pan and placed it on the stove top, shutting the door and swiftly turning off the oven.

Alex looked at the slightly darkened baked spaghetti; the edges burnt to a crispy blackish-brown with the cheese being darker than usual. The pepperonis were even curled a bit.

And Alex just couldn’t help himself.

He laughed.

Through all of the hardships he suffered from earlier in the day to the painful moment he just recently held with his Mother, it felt as if his body needed to have some sort of… release. The day was dreadful, and there will be many more to follow after on which he is absolutely, almost certain will happen. So in order to (somewhat) calm his fragile nerves… he laughed.

And as the saying goes: _Laughter is the best medicine._

His sudden bout of laughter drew his Mother’s attention and she looked at him oddly, head tilted to the side in a sense of utter confusion. “Alex, what is so funny?”

He wiped a stray tear from his eye and toned down his laughter into quiet chuckles. “Nothing, nothing. I guess I just… needed a good laugh, y’know? To ease the tension.”

His Mother still looked at him strangely but decided to not question her sons’ peculiar attitude, chalking it up to teenage hormones. “Ok, well, dinner is ready if you want to eat now”

Alex just smiled, showing all rows of his pearly white teeth as he grabbed a paper plate from the counter. “Ok”

X

Dinner with his Mother had gone along rather smoothly, the incident in the kitchen long forgotten in favor of having a moment of Mother-Son bonding time.

Their laughter filled the once stale air of the dining room as their conversations switched topics randomly and rapidly, from the dreadful stories of local, national and worldwide news to something more heartfelt and endearing in order to ease the depressing aura.

Like viral videos.

“ _Maman! Maman!_ Do you remember that video of the left shark?”

“ _Oui! Oui!_ There were so many pictures of it on the internet. It was very funny!”

And so on, so forth.

But eventually, good times must come to an end.

With dinner finished and any remaining food put away for future meals, Alex and his Mother both retired for the night to their personal rooms, each wishing each other a ‘Goodnight’ and ‘Sweet dreams’ as to get ready for any of tomorrow’s unknown events.

A quick hop in the shower and Alex was once again reliving the same events from late last night, with a familiar black and white journal in one hand and a blue mechanical pencil in the other. He turned on his lamp on his nightstand and crawled into bed, sitting cross-legged with the journal perched on a knee.

**_‘Are you ever going to grow out of this little hobby of yours? Because to me, it seems like it doesn’t help you at all.’_ **

Alex huffed as he wrote on the top part of the page. _‘It’s my way of venting. ‘Sides, it’s healthy’_

The voice made a noise of contemplation. **_‘Hmm… well, there are other ways to let out frustration…’_ **

_‘And I don’t want to know it. Now hush.’_ Alex shushed the voice and went back to his journal.

The voice scoffed in annoyance and grumble something incoherent but eventually left him in peace.

Alex sighed in relief at the chance to finally have some time to himself for today and began writing in his journal.

_Monday, August 17_ _th_ _, 2015_

_9:56 PM_

_The first day of school has come and gone and with it, another grueling reminder that I have to suffer for another 2 years and 179 days until I will inevitably be free._

_The day went just as I expected it to go, with hateful students and ignorant adults who wish my very existence would meet an untimely end, and the fact that I don’t react to it in any way just makes their resolve come back with more force._

_But it’s nothing new. I’m used to it._

_But besides all that… I met someone today._

_Not in any sense of romantic attention, but more on the verge of innocent company._

_Or at least, I hope so._

_Hard to believe it all started out with a short walk to the Auditorium and her walking next to me. She just muttered a soft greeting and I instantly was on edge._

_You don’t just walk up to people without any intentions._

_But the voice… it told me it was tired of seeing me struggle every day, and that I needed some help._

_I didn’t want to do it. I still don’t trust people, especially not females and their twisted, manipulative ways to downplay and ruin others._

_But the voice insisted._

_And I complied._

_Her name was Melinda, and it was her very first day at Morrison, starting out as a Sophomore with a good bit of advanced classes for someone like her._

_She had pale skin and jet-black hair with a chubby physique and red-rimmed glasses framing baby-blue eyes. A person that could easily get lost in a crowd of unassuming people._

_She didn’t really seem the type to ‘stand out’ amongst others._

_But I still didn’t trust her._

_Then she mentioned she had a brother._

_And that made my heart stutter to a standstill._

_Of all the people I could have gotten to know in the entire school… it had to be the person with siblings._

_And worse, a brother at that._

_And if that wasn’t bad enough, I just met my very first tormentor for the year. An (apparently) highly skilled athlete on a scholarship program named Xavier._

_And from what the Guidance Counselor told me, he has a reputation to uphold, and me getting into a little altercation with him may damage his chances._

_Not that I would do that to anyone._

_Everyone deserves a chance to shine at least once._

_(Even though he tripped me at Lunch and made my food spill on my uniform.)_

_But then came the end of the day in Fourth Period, a class I share with Melinda that I finally found out who her brother was._

_A pale-haired boy named Zane with icy-blue eyes._

_It’s still hard to believe that those two are even remotely related. Or even twins for that matter. They look nothing alike._

_But it doesn’t matter if they are related or not, Melinda’s brother has a clear dislike for me and it’s obvious he doesn’t want me around her._

_There’s not much use in putting up much of a fight about it. I have no say in family affairs._

_After all, I barely know anything about my own family._

_It’s getting late._

_I’m going to bed._

_-Alex_

Alex closed the journal and put it back on the shelf amongst the others and placed his pencil back inside his drawer for his nightstand. He reached over for his lamp and switched it off, his room quickly descending into darkness as a sliver of the Moon shone through his window curtains.

He pulled back the covers of his bed and nuzzled into the sheets, taking a cursory glance at bright red numbers staring back at him from his digital clock. 10:38 PM.

He turned over and closed his eyes, forcing his mind to stop working in overtime so his body could get some much-needed rest in order to prepare for tomorrow.

Within minutes, he fell into a dreamless slumber.

X

The day started off with little to no consequences. The frequently thrown insults at his person regarding either his appearance or intelligence. An occasional shoulder-check here and there with a few pushes and shoves into lockers thrown in.

Nothing out of the norm.

His First Period wasn't as bad as he assumed it would be. Mr. Lee was a kind-hearted, middle-aged man with dark skin and slowly graying hair and gave Alex a small smile when he came in and took a seat at the back of the class. Alex returned the gesture with one of his own (though shy and a borderline grimace), as he waited for class to began.

The class itself wasn’t too unpleasant, with the majority being more Juniors than any other underclassmen, and most of them had (somewhat) shown a modicum of respect towards the teacher once they realized how simple and modest he was, not strict in the slightest bit.

Easy enough to cause disruption and disorder.

So… not bad.

But also not okay.

Second Period was… interesting, to say the least.

Mrs. Jones was an uptight and strict young woman of Caucasian descent, with an outfit fit for lawyers and posture straight and poised like a soldier in waiting.

And she always had a ruler in her hands.

And she knew just how to use it.

One of the students, a Freshman, yawned a bit too loudly to be considered natural during her introduction, and she smacked the ruler on the edge of his desk. He was so startled he jumped out his desk and fell on the floor, the class finding joy in his misery.

But a deathly stare from the teacher was enough to calm the class into an uncomfortable silence, and remained that way for the rest of the period.

So this class wasn’t going to be any good either, not by a longshot.

It was during Lunch Period, that things took a turn.

The walk to the Second Floor was relaxed and unhurried as Alex casually ascended the steps one at a time. He walked passed other students who rushed by him in a mad dash for the Cafeteria, eager to enjoy the one hour of freedom with no coursework or overbearing teachers, thoroughly ignoring his existence completely.

Alex couldn’t have been more happy with the situation.

Once he hit the top step he pushed opened the wooden doors to the staircase and walked down the familiar hallway towards a particular classroom. He didn’t see Melinda standing outside the room shyly playing with her fingers, but he figured she was still inside the classroom, waiting for his arrival.

When he got there, it was to a surprisingly empty classroom, the only person still there was the teacher who was gathering his things to leave for his lunch break. Alex knocked on the door to alert his presence and the teacher turned towards the sound, startled.

He smiled brightly and waved for him to enter. “Alex! What a surprise! I haven’t seen you in so long! Come in! Come in!”

Not wanting to appear rude Alex stepped inside the classroom and walked towards the teacher who quickly settled back into his desk, lunch break momentarily forgotten. “Oh it’s been too long, my boy! How was your summer vacation? I hope you had more fun than I did!” He said with a deep, hearty laugh, clearly amused.

Alex chuckled, gray eyes alight with mirth and leisure, a much-needed distraction from today’s exhausting moments, and with his favorite teacher no less.

Mr. Godfried Hendrikx was an average man with (somewhat) average looks. Peach-colored skin that would turn red sometimes if he stayed in too high temperatures for a certain amount of time. His hair was an odd combination of blonde, brown and gray. The colors didn’t really blend that well as they should have when concerning older age, so it looked like a cluster of three different colors in their own areas. He had green eyes that had become dull over the years with a few lines of crow’s feet that could have formed from his constant smiling, showing the slightly yellowish tint of his teeth.

But despite appearances, Mr. Hendrikx was an absolute delight to be around, always there to brighten the mood and keep it that way.

He remembers starting out in this very same classroom Freshmen year, sitting in the very back while stealthy nursing some fresh bruises from earlier. The class was rowdy and loud, and there seemed to be no order in calming them down either (especially if it was the last period of the day, so everyone was eager to get home).

Then the teacher walked in (or, more like _waltzed_ in, he should say), and the class gradually began to calm down when he called for there attention. He introduced himself and asked the students to do so as well, then asked them what they did for summer vacation. The students were much too excited to tell their fellow classmates the adventures they experienced and began talking over each other, some getting louder than needed to be heard over the animated yelling.

So to placate his enthusiastic students, he asked them to write down their stories and he’ll collect them at the end of the period. Sweet and simple, something that Alex had no problems doing, even if he had to… exaggerate a bit, so to say.

So he didn’t understand why Mr. Hendrikx told him to stay behind after class once the bell sounded.

He knew he did nothing wrong in the class. He sat in the back so he wouldn’t be disturbed by anyone, and even managed not to stutter when it was time for introductions, despite the quiet snickers he had heard. He even made sure not to wince when his bruises started to ache and throb, the slightest movement making his body twinge in pain and discomfort.

Besides, most of his teachers would be glad to kick him out of their classroom in a heartbeat.

So sitting in a random desk while having a staring contest with your teacher wasn’t the most pleasant experience.

Even more so when he smiled at him.

But it wasn’t a smile full of malicious intent, or even spiteful for that matter (and that confused him since most of his teachers always had some vindictive motive against him).

It was a smile full of pity.

And it shocked him to his core.

And even more shocking was the teacher’s response. _“Now I know I may be just an irrational old man in your eyes… but, I have enough sense to know when someone is in pain. And not just physically either, but emotionally as well.”_

And Alex felt something shift inside him. Something that, at that time, he couldn’t explain what it was.

But as the weeks went by and Mr. Hendrikx asked him to stay behind more and more, he finally realized what it was.

Not exactly a friendship per se, but… more like an understanding.

Alex smiled, amusement being replaced with a more genuine one. “Actually Mr. Hendrikx, I was wondering if you have someone named Melinda Marković in your class.”

Mr. Hendrikx gave him a questioning look before a sly grin broke out on his face. “Alex, you little dog you. I didn’t know you had a girlfriend”

Morbid and thoroughly embarrassed, Alex rapidly shook his head, denying the statement as his face turned multiple shades of red. “N-No! No! No! It’s not like that, honestly! We’re just friends. That’s all”

Mr. Hendrikx chuckled and began rifling through some papers on his desk. “Sure, sure. I believe you”

Alex said nothing more as Mr. Hendrikx found the attendance sheet and began going through the list of names until he finally reached the M’s. “Ah, here we are. Yes, I do indeed have a Melinda Marković. Did you need her for something, Alex?”

Alex just scratched his cheek and looked off to the side, not meeting his eyes. “Well, no, not really. I was just gonna walk with her to Lunch, that’s all.”

Mr. Hendirkx made a thoughtful sound and tapped his finger against his chin, muttering the name ‘Marković’ as if in a trance. “… Now I know my memory isn’t what it used to be, but does she have short black hair and red glasses?”

Alex nodded. “Yes”

Mr. Hendrikx made another sound. “I believe she left with someone if I’m not mistaken, a boy I presume”

Alex blinked, not sure on how to follow with those words until he felt the dejection hit him like a punch to the gut. He didn’t know why he was feeling this way, in fact, he shouldn’t be feeling this way. There have been many cases where people wish to acquire his friendship only for him to get backstabbed moments later.

And it was all done as a means for entertainment.

But he shouldn’t judge too quickly, after all, she could have more friends that she just never mentioned before.

But the feeling of doubt is heavy in his stomach.

Alex let out a melancholy ‘Oh’ and stood up from his seat, saying a subdued ‘Goodbye’ to Mr. Hendrikx as he prepared to leave and head to Lunch.

But the teacher thought otherwise and quickly cleared his throat to catch his attention. “Before you go Alex, I hoped you don’t think the worst has happened here. If anything the person she left with was a bit of an odd fellow. His hair was an almost white color and his eyes were a nasty blue.” He shuddered but continued. “If a child is already like that now, I’d hate to see how they are when they’re older”

Alex felt his breath stutter before picking back up again, eyes widen only by a fraction so as not to notify his teacher.

He knew exactly who he was talking about.

He kept a calm façade and said a quick ‘Thank you’ to the teacher before leaving the room.

**_‘So her brother came and got her’_ ** The voice said, more of a statement than a question.

_‘Yes, but what can I do about it? It’s her brother, they’re family, and I can’t do anything that concerns family affairs’_ Alex replied as he made his way down the hall and towards the staircase, hoping that he hadn’t missed much of his Lunch Period.

**_‘You can’t, or you won’t?’_ ** The voice mocked, its’ tone condescending and sounding so sure.

_‘… Shut up. I know what I’m doing, and it’s best if I mind my own business’_

**_‘Hmph… I know you’re a coward Alex, but I never took you for heartless’_ **

Alex flared his nostrils as passersby gave him odd looks and a wide berth. _‘I’m not heartless nor a coward, I’m only looking out for my own safety. That’s it’_

The voice chuckled and whispered another ‘heartless’ before receding back into his subconscious.

Alex scoffed and before he could leave the staircase the bell ringed, letting him know that he had, once again, missed his opportunity to enjoy Lunch. He sighed and opened the doors to the stairs and proceeded to walk down the hall towards his final class for the day, avoiding the rush of students leaving from the Cafeteria.

He just hopes his last class wouldn’t be as bad as his others.

X

As it turns out, it would be just as bad.

His last class for the day happened to be Gym, or Physical Education if using the proper term for the large, echoing room with walls as white as snow. The hardwood floors were glistening from being polished earlier in the day and the lights reflecting from it made it a little hard to see. There were two balconies on opposite sides of the room, one with a weightlifting area and the other with another set of blue-colored bleachers to hold even more of an audience. The ceiling held numerous championship flags, some dating back well into the early ’90s, with the latest one being from only three years back.

Alex, along with the rest of the class, sat on one of the bleachers that had been extended to allow them a place to sit while the teacher, Mr. Davis, gave an in-depth description on what they would be doing for the rest of the school year.

If only he would stop slowly pacing back and forth, his back straight and rigid, as if he used to be in the military.

Which Alex wouldn’t put it past him to not be true.

The class was a mix of Freshmen and Sophomores, with the majority being ninth graders as they nervously watched the teacher walk back and forth slowly, eyeing each and every one of them critically and with an intimidating stance.

But that wasn’t what made the class so intolerable.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t ‘Mr. I-can’t-see-where-I’m-going’”

It was Xavier.

Xavier was in his last class for the day.

Why, oh why, did fate despised him?

He sighed deeply and tried to ignore him to the best of his abilities, but it proved to be very difficult since Xavier wasn’t one to give up without a fight.

“What’s the matter? Cat gotcha tongue?” He taunted with a sneering smirk wide on his face, showing a neat row of pearly-white teeth.

Alex remained silent, deciding to instead listen to his teacher on how he could kill a man in over 120 different ways and have enough energy left over to take out a small group of highly trained officers. Alex sighed again and closed his eyes, sending a quiet prayer to whatever deity would listen to him for just this once to not make this class any worse than what it already is.

“Alright, you maggots!” Mr. Davis’ rough voiced filled the too quiet Gym with a resounding echo. “When I call your name, I expect an answer! Now, Christian Aarons…!”

“… Here”

Mr. Davis eyed the frighten Freshman that had answered with a deathly stare and whispered in a low, menacing voice. “‘Here’, what?”

The poor boy swallowed before saying with a nervous lisp. “H-Here, sir!”

Mr. Davis only nodded and continued down the list. “Diamond Abbington…!”

“Here, sir”

“Dwayne Adams…!”

“Here, sir”

“Alexander Anderson…!”

“Here, sir”

Mr. Davis only gave him a quick glance before going further down the list until every person in the class had answered and he folded the paper and placed it inside his pants pocket. “Alright, now that I know that everyone is here, I will show each of you to your separate locker rooms so you can put away your things when class is in session. Girls, you're up first. Let’s go!”

The few girls that were in the class hesitantly packed their bags and followed after their very odd and possibly demented teacher, some huddling close together for comfort.

With their deranged teacher out of earshot, the boys decided to let loose a little and started conversing with each other, some even pulling out homework from other classes to past the time.

And Alex would have had some momentary peace and quiet had it not been for his unwanted guest.

“Hey! Hey, funny eyes! I know you hear me!”

Alex opened his eyes, not knowing when he had closed them in the first place and turned towards the current bane of his existence that was harshly poking him in the arm, and it took all his willpower to not show how annoyed he was. “Yes? What is it?”

Xavier ceased his relentless poking spree and instead had a very disgruntled look upon his face, obviously not pleased with something.

Or more specifically, _him_.

“What the hell are you doing in a place like this anyway? I doubt they just let someone like you in here with no consequences.” He questioned, moving closer as he spoke to the point where their faces were mere inches apart.

Alex leaned back to lengthen the distance, immediately uncomfortable with his need to be directly in others personal space and decided on whether or not to respond to his inquiries.

**_‘Ignore the fool. He’s nothing but a nuisance’_ ** The voice supplied.

_‘But if I ignore him he’ll just keep coming back with a vengeance. You know his type, not one to give up so easily’_

The voice made a thoughtful noise before saying, **_‘Well then, no choice but to indulge in his curiosity. Perhaps he may leave you alone after this’_ **

_‘Hopefully’_ The conversation was over as quickly as it started and Alex noticed that Xavier’s look was turning sourer the longer it took him to answer. With a deep sigh (and probably more to come by), he said, “I’m here on an Academic scholarship because I excelled more in the four given subjects than any other students.”

Xavier only crossed his arms, giving him an improbable look. “Really?”

“Yes”

Xavier _tched!_ his teeth and gave him an annoyed look. “Please. You expect me to believe that load of bullshit?”

Alex just shrugged his shoulders, not caring in either way. “What reason would I have to lie?”

“I can think of a few reasons.” Xavier smirked cruelly and leaned in towards his face again. “One: You cheated your way to the top. Two: Your parents bribed some of the higher-ups to let you in for whatever reason. Three: Your Mom probably slept around to get you in-”

“Don’t talk about my Mother” Alex cut him off harshly, his eyes narrowing as his mood switched from mild irritation to outrage just that quickly. Never before has he felt such an intense feeling of emotion in his body. He could get annoyed, yes, and even a little aggravated depending on circumstances.

But anger was not one of them.

Xavier still had that blasted smirk on his face as he leaned in even closer. “Why? Did I hit a nerve? Is the little baby gonna go running home to his Mommy?”

“Get out of my face and leave me alone”

“Make me”

“Alright, you maggots!” The Gym teachers voiced echoed throughout the room as he returned to the main floor with the girls in tow. “Boys, you’re next! Let’s go!”

Alex wasted no time in getting up from the bleachers and standing next to the teacher, trying to get as far away from Xavier and his smug looks as possible.

Once all the boys were standing at attention Mr. Davis led them through an open doorway that revealed a brightly-lit room of white walls and rows-upon-rows of blue-colored lockers, all lined up in perfect union in the center of the room. On the opposite end of the room was where the showers were located, each stall being separated by white walls and a wooden door, once again in the color blue, with a white shower curtain to conceal privacy.

“This is where you will change out of your school uniform and into your gym clothes once it is assigned to you.” Mr. Davis said as he walked down the small passageway formed by the lines of lockers. “Over there are the showers which you’ll use if you feel dirty or have a strong smell coming off you, and trust me when I say you’ll use them when class is over.” He smirked and led them down the path to an area that was walled-off with a wooden door. “And right here are the restrooms”

He turned around to face the group and began walking back in the opposite direction. “I will hand you an information packet on what you will learn in my class, as well as a size chart that will need to be turned in by the following Thursday so that I can have your gym uniforms ready for you by Monday.” He stopped his trek in the floor and turned to face the group. “Now, any questions?”

When none answered, he nodded and led them back out of the locker room and to the main floor where the girls sat about, conversing with each other quietly. “Alright everyone, since it’s nearing the end of class, I will hand out your information packet. I expect this back by Thursday, no exceptions, no excuses.”

As Mr. Davis began handing out the packet Alex found a nice, comfortable seat on the bleachers, far away from Xavier and his wicked smirks.

The anger inside him had long since mellowed out into a nice, calm breeze of emotions as he ignored Xavier and his presence altogether, and did what he’d always do in a situation where his emotions went haywire.

And that was to think of anything that would be enough to clear his mind of today’s events.

Like online videos.

Perfect distraction.

Alex sighed as he felt the tension in his shoulders slowly ebbed away with the more videos he could think of to calm himself.

Once the teacher handed him his packet the bell sounded, and the students quickly scrambled to gather their things and get away from their certainly unhinged teacher.

Alex not too far behind.

Or at least, he would have been.

A hand suddenly landed on his shoulder and he flinched hard enough to have pulled a muscle in his neck and back, and it forced him to turn around to meet the familiar dark-brown eyes of his current tormentor.

Alex felt the small bit of tranquility quickly vanish and he narrowed his eyes, pushing the hand off of his shoulder. “I told you to leave me alone”

Xavier just smirked and forced his arm around his neck in a non-threatening chokehold and began to drag him out of the Gym, almost in a friendly manner. “C’mon, what’s with the attitude? I thought we were becoming best friends?” He mocked as the arm around his neck slowly got tighter.

And despite his attempts, Alex couldn’t even make the arm budge. It was like trying to move a brick wall with your bare hands. He honestly didn’t think that someone his age could be this strong.

That, or he was really weak, whichever came first.

Xavier continued to drag him further down the hallway as he pulled and struggled to be let go, students and the like pausing in their steps to watch and stare at the odd display of the athletic star and school pariah showcasing an eerily similar sign of camaraderie.

“Let me go!”

“Now, now, no need for that! You’re just showing a fellow student where their class is!”

**_‘What are you doing, Alex?! Fight back!’_ **

_‘I can’t!’_

**_‘Yes you can! Do it!’_ **

“I said let me go!”

“Or what?! You’re gonna hit me?! Ha! As if!”

**_‘Alex, if you don’t do something right now, I will take control over you by force!’_ **

_‘No! Don’t do that! Please!’_

**_‘Then fight. BACK!’_ **

“I said let **_GO!_ ** ”

It was as if everything had happened in slow motion. Alex could distinctly hear the jeers and taunts from his fellow classmates as Xavier pulled him further and further down the hallway in the chokehold. He felt his breath quicken at the prospect of having his body taken over by force by the voice, and in an act of retaliation he lashed out at whatever was closest to him.

Unfortunately, that happened to be Xavier.

“Argh! Fuck! You motherfucker!!”

Alex felt the hold around his neck loosen before it disappeared altogether and he quickly stepped away from the now hissing boy as he crouched low to the ground, holding his right cheek in pain and glaring daggers at him.

And from the looks of it, Alex could make out five very pronounced scratch marks on his face.

And one glance down at his hand with skin tissue underneath his nails told him enough of what had happened.

But he didn’t have enough time to contemplate on it further as Xavier was up and on him in a heartbeat, delivering a deadly uppercut into his stomach with pin-point accuracy. He coughed up spittle and folded over the fist wrist-deep in his gut, silently glad that he hadn’t eaten Lunch today for he knew he would have thrown it back up. Once the fist retreated he fell onto the cold hard ground, coughing up more spit as he tried to catch his bearings.

Xavier stepped away, looking down at him like one would to an insect, his breaths coming in deep, raspy pants. “You ever… do that shit again… I will fuckin’ kill you”

And just like that the warning bell sounded off, and like a flurry of mice the students that stopped to watch the spectacle unfold hurried along to get to Fourth Period.

Xavier gave him another glare before leaving the poor boy to wallow on the floor in pain and embarrassment.

Once the tell-tell sounds of shoes meeting tiled flooring disappeared he stood up slowly, minding his newly formed bruise and gradually meandered through the halls, only one place in mind as to where he would spend his Free Period.

X

“Honestly Alex, you ‘ave to be more careful from now on. I don’t think your body can handle much more of this.”

“But I’m fine. Besides it’s not the first time I was punched in the stomach”

There was a despondent sigh and the sound of pencil on paper. “Alex I wish you wouldn’t joke about something so serious. You know I worry about you?”

Another sigh. “… I know”

Alex laid atop a plush, hospital bed inside the Nurse’s office while said Nurse continued to write and record all his notes inside an old, worn composition notebook.

The room wasn’t anything fancy or even elegant, just a simple room large enough to fit three other beds inside along with all the equipment a school Nurse will need, the walls depicting the standardize images of body parts and wellness charts. Each bed had its’ own area being separated by a plain white curtain hanging from the ceiling, the bed a surprisingly royal blue color instead of the standard white to make possible stains more visible.

Of course, he’s been in this room more times than he could count, and most of the time not by choice.

But at least he had a chance to pay the Nurse a friendly visit, or something like that.

Nurse Osbourne was quite a unique individual. His skin was a very pale color along with his hair, almost as if he were unhealthy even though he looked and sounded right as rain. His eyes were what brought out most of his features. Never before had Alex met someone who had heterochromia, and it was quite the spectacle of openly staring at his different-colored eyes in awe and wonder; his right eye a grayish-blue color and left one a dark amber. And with his face was randomly splattered with freckles and moles (despite the bad burn mark on his cheek), he would have been deemed a very charming person, according to society.

Nurse Osbourne had scribbled some more into his worn notebook before opening a nearby drawer from a filing cabinet and placing it inside, shutting it with a resounding _click!_ The Nurse grabbed a packet of latex gloves and slid one on onto each hand before turning towards him. “Okay Alex, now I’m going to gently prod your stomach to see how bad the pain affects you, alright?”

Alex nodded.

“Good, now lift up your shirt”

Alex did as instructed and lifted his shirt to expose his abdomen, littered with various old bruises and cuts that had never healed properly over time.

But Alex wasn’t ashamed, he had stopped feeling that a long time ago the first time he came here.

Nurse Osbourne gasped sharply and began to tenderly poke each of his contusions. “Alex… what have they been doing to you?”

Alex shrugged but regretted it immediately as the pain in his stomach began to throb and he hissed quietly. “Nothing out of the ordinary”

Nurse Osbourne just sighed and began prodding the newly-formed injury on his stomach, being mindful of the groans and whimpers Alex was letting out when he applied more pressure to the wound. “Nothing internally was ruptured, but it is very, very tender to the touch” Nurse Osbourne stood up from his rolling chair and walked over to a mini-fridge in the corner of the room and pulled out a large bag filled with ice.

He returned with the bag of ice in hand and slowly placed it on the bruise, making the boy release a shaky breath at the cold touch. “This should make the swelling go down, and I suggest you keep that on your stomach until I say it is fine, alright?”

Alex nodded. “Ok”

Nurse Osbourne sat back in his rolling chair, interlocking his fingers across his lap and crossing his legs in an elegant manner. “So Alex, how was your first day back? I didn’t get the chance to see you yesterday”

Alex grunted and turned his head to face the Nurse. “It wasn’t bad, well, as bad as it could have been, to be honest.”

Nurse Osbourne nodded. “Made any friends? You know friendships are important to a child’s future?”

Alex shifted and adverted his eyes to stare at the ceiling instead. “Well… I only met one so far, but I’m not even sure on what to call it exactly.”

Nurse Osbourne chuckled softly, leaving a small smile on his face. “Well Alex, having one is better than having none at all. Trust me when I say that the older you get, the more you will come to cherish that special bond with someone.”

Alex wasn’t sure on how to respond to that but managed a simple ‘yeah’.

They fell into a comfortable silence, the only noise being heard was the soft ticking of an analog clock hanging on the wall and the gentle humming from the mini-fridge. Alex felt his eyes getting heavier and heavier as the gentle ticking from the clock lured him deeper into slumber.

“It’s alright Alex, you can rest if you wish. You deserve it after the day you’ve had” Nurse Osbourne said as he stood up from his chair and went to turn off the lights.

The last thing Alex saw before slowly drifting off to sleep was the curtain of his bed being pulled shut to give him a sense of privacy.

_~End of Chapter~_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally managed to finish this right before Christmas! I only had one day left before that joyous day of gift-giving and spending time with the family almost popped in, but I did it.
> 
> And it didn’t take a whole year this time! Even more of a reason to celebrate!
> 
> Now that the excitement is over and the year is ending (Thank God! This year was absolutely terrible), I may or may not bestow upon you another chapter until sometime around Summer.
> 
> Why you ask, well it’s because tax season is right around the corner which means my job is going to get very busy for the next few months, and since I’m needed five days out of the week I won’t have time to upload Chapter 4 until then (if I get lucky).
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this early Christmas gift (or what ever holiday you celebrate), and I will see you all soon!
> 
> Bye!
> 
> -AJ
> 
> Word Count: ~7,600  
> Uploaded: December 24, 2018


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